Birthday Spent Reflecting on my Life
This column appeared in The Daily Mountain Eagle on 1/18/2009

I celebrated my birthday this past week and I spent some time reflecting on my life.

I am a dreamer by nature, with an eye to the future, but I also think it’s important to remember where I came from. It is the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and stories of my past, that form a tapestry that is my life. And if there is one word that describes how I feel on this 58 birthday, it is Gratitude.

I’m grateful that my mom and dad taught us kids to work hard and to get an education. I would not be where I am today without their wise counsel. If every kid today had to pick cotton on Saturday to earn money to go to the county fair, or to haul off mountains of wet chicken manure to earn money for a new tire for their bicycle, I can promise you they would better understand the value of money.

I’m grateful for my teachers and coaches in school who took an interest in a bunch of hair-brained kids and did their best to point us in the right direction. I didn’t understand all the things they told me then, but as I grew older, I realized they were a lot smarter than I had given them credit for.

I’m grateful for Uncle Sam. I know that in the past, I may have whined about being drafted, but the Army gave me a chance to get away from home for a few years and see the world. It also allowed me to get started back to college on the GI bill.

I know there are those who may only look to the government for a handout, but the best thing Uncle Sam gave me was an opportunity.

I am grateful for my job. There are days when I’d really like to drive a pencil through the center of my forehead with my keyboard, but my work has provided us with a steady paycheck. A steady paycheck put a roof over our heads, has kept food on the table, allowed us to drive decent cars and provided us the opportunity to travel.

I’m grateful for my family and friends who have not only always been there for me if ever I needed them, but also helped make this life an adventure.

I’m grateful my wife never learned to shoot a gun or sharpen kitchen knives. Had she mastered these skills, it is doubtful I would be sitting here today. But she did master the art of cooking. Sharing meals with family and friends has been a richer experience than I ever imagined when I was younger.

I’m grateful that we both share a common love of music, travel, gardening, and animals. I am grateful for the health we have enjoyed through the years, for Sunday mornings drinking good coffee and reading the paper.

I am grateful for all you readers who stop me in the grocery store and tell me you read my column. And I am grateful that the Good Lord has seen fit to help me make more good decisions than bad, and has given me the wisdom to understand that this life is a gift.