I've spent time today thinking about Life Events. You know, those things, some planned, but many unplanned, that happen to you along the journey.
I guess I've lived a blessed life, because distilling it into 10 things was difficult. I'm sure Jilda will read this and pepper me with 50 other things that I didn't include, but here goes my short list.
1. The gift of my first car. It was a 1949 Plymouth coupe that had belonged to my brother, and my mother bought it for me for my 15th birthday. I know this is crazy, but I drove that car for a year without a license or insurance. I kept it until I got drafted and my dad sold it while I was in Panama (still a little miffed about that).
2. My first flight on an airplane. I flew from Birmingham to Newark. The terrain was flat and uninteresting until we flew over New York City. I almost rubbed a blister on my forehead looking through the tiny portal on that flight.
3. Seeing a meteor shower over the Atlantic Ocean, from the walls of Fort San Lorenzo, in Panama. The shooting stars went from horizon to horizon in what seemed like slow motion.
4. Getting married on the front porch of a house trailer in Brewton, Alabama on May 5, 1974.
5. Getting our first cut of a song that we wrote. Sitting in the studio listening to the artist and great musicians do one of our songs. I still get a little chill when I recall that memory.
6. Spending our first Christmas in our new house, after living 10 years in a 12 x 65 foot house trailer with no airconditioning.
7. Driving off the lot in our first new car.
8. Our first trip to San Francisco. We both, in the words of our good friend Joe, contracted scenic sclerosis.
9. Standing on the Cliffs of Mohr, Ireland looking westward toward America.
10. Retiring from my day gig after 33 years. It was not a bad job, and I love the people with whom I worked, but I'm now doing the work I love, and I haven't looked back.
NOTE: This list may grow.
I guess I've lived a blessed life, because distilling it into 10 things was difficult. I'm sure Jilda will read this and pepper me with 50 other things that I didn't include, but here goes my short list.
1. The gift of my first car. It was a 1949 Plymouth coupe that had belonged to my brother, and my mother bought it for me for my 15th birthday. I know this is crazy, but I drove that car for a year without a license or insurance. I kept it until I got drafted and my dad sold it while I was in Panama (still a little miffed about that).
2. My first flight on an airplane. I flew from Birmingham to Newark. The terrain was flat and uninteresting until we flew over New York City. I almost rubbed a blister on my forehead looking through the tiny portal on that flight.
3. Seeing a meteor shower over the Atlantic Ocean, from the walls of Fort San Lorenzo, in Panama. The shooting stars went from horizon to horizon in what seemed like slow motion.
4. Getting married on the front porch of a house trailer in Brewton, Alabama on May 5, 1974.
5. Getting our first cut of a song that we wrote. Sitting in the studio listening to the artist and great musicians do one of our songs. I still get a little chill when I recall that memory.
6. Spending our first Christmas in our new house, after living 10 years in a 12 x 65 foot house trailer with no airconditioning.
7. Driving off the lot in our first new car.
8. Our first trip to San Francisco. We both, in the words of our good friend Joe, contracted scenic sclerosis.
9. Standing on the Cliffs of Mohr, Ireland looking westward toward America.
10. Retiring from my day gig after 33 years. It was not a bad job, and I love the people with whom I worked, but I'm now doing the work I love, and I haven't looked back.
NOTE: This list may grow.
A pretty good list - you have indeed led a blessed life.
ReplyDeleteAnd good for you ... and Jilda. :)
Ouch! Ten years in a house trailer with no air conditioning. No wonder that first house (and everything else on your list) was such a blessing!
ReplyDeleteVery nicely said. You have lived an interesting and colorful life, full of loyalty!
ReplyDeleteDid you mean to say 'now' in the last line rather than 'not'?
i'll edit my comment if needs be.
Loved your list!
ReplyDeleteYes, Life events are gifts. A good and positive way of looking at ones' life. Yes, more gifts are on the way.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Mike
Thanks all. I had a typo in the original post. I said "I'm NOT doing the work I love" and it should have been "I'm NOW doing the work I love". (Thanks Renae).
ReplyDeleteA lovely list of blessings.
ReplyDeleteSo much fun..so little time! Enjoy each day, you've earned it!
ReplyDeletehahaha. You're welcome, Rick.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have seen that meteor shower. You getting married on the porch of a trailer touched my heart...my wedding was small with everything borrowed. It cost us 43 dollars. That was 42 years ago. :) You have had some wonderful life events to look back on.
ReplyDeleteThose steps say a great deal about your life. So nice to have young marrieds still married stories too.
ReplyDeleteGreat moments to remember...except for the car getting sold out from under you!
ReplyDelete