I’ve always, all my life, thought that the things that I’ve done have been normal, or at best kind of boring.
I’ve never felt that I have achieved anything special, or had great success. I’ve just lived my life, that’s all.
When I think about the stories I’ve written of my experiences and what I’ve done as I’ve traveled through this life and from the comments I’ve received back about
my adventures, I guess to some people, my life wasn’t boring at all. It was far from normal, without me even knowing it, by today’s standards anyway.
One of my favorite sayings is from George Bernard Shaw, he said “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake.”
Growing up not having much gave me more than most. It gave a life to remember. A life far from mundane, far from what most people consider normal.
I was inquisitive, and adventurous (I’m sure I prematurely aged my poor mother).
Living on a farm far from town, my parents made sure we had plenty, and plenty to do, and we experienced much by having little. We entertained ourselves and made our own fun.
In my teenage years we didn’t play sports, because we couldn’t afford to. We didn’t go to the movies, because we couldn’t afford to. We did other things. The stuff I write about. Looking back, it was the good stuff.
There’s loads more that I can, and probably will write about. Some folks enjoy reading it, and I’m sure just as many roll their eyes and scroll on by thinking it’s pretty far fetched, and that’s ok. I enjoy remembering and writing.
I’ve laughed, and cried remembering the things I’ve done, and the people I’ve mentioned in my stories. Along with all the hundreds of other stories, that are still left in me to write about.
As I’m remembering and writing down all these stories and memories… I’ve realized something… and that is, that I’ve lived life. I’ve lived ten lives! I’ve had an extraordinary life, good or bad, I wouldn’t change much… and I can’t imagine it being any other way.
All the experiences I’ve had are pieces of the puzzle. My puzzle, they are my life.
I want my grandkids to know me by my memories and my experiences and know that I am a man of integrity; not that I’ve succeeded or accomplished anything, but that I’ve stayed the course and kept the faith.
I don’t want them to be afraid to live life. I want them to be inquisitive, to be adventurous and most of all to have integrity and keep the faith because it makes us who we are.
If I can help instill these qualities in them, then I will have succeeded. I will have achieved much.
