Sunday, 31 August 08
So now I am 51 years old. How old is 51? Well, when I was born in 1957, a few veterans of the Civil War were still alive! I know this because of a recent visit I paid to the Texas Civil War Museum. How old is 51? There were only 48 stars on the flag in 1957 - both Hawaii and Alaska were admitted into the union in 1959. How old is 51? I was born a mere 12 years after the end of World War II.
I do not feel particularly old; many of my current habits and idiosyncrasies began as a child, such as cracking my knuckles, my weird sneeze, chicken laugh and the sea lion hoot that is sometimes emitted when I stretch. Two behaviors have been jettisoned: biting my fingernails and using my fingers to push food onto a fork, but almost everything else remains in place.
I still ride my Schwinn Varsity bicycle from the early 1970s. I have a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am that is an exact match to the TA that I drove during my collegiate years at Texas A&M. In some ways I never want to fully grow up. I'd like to gain wisdom as I age, but retain the optimism, enthusiasm and simplicity of youth.
Saturday, 16 August 08
Today is an annual car wash, even a double wash, staged by the Argyle Marching Band, followed by a viewing and inspection of the new water slides at our Aquakids location in Keller.
Monday, 04 August 08
This day marks my 4 1/2 year anniversary of the removal of a brain tumor. My life has been transformed from unremarkable to nothing and back to unremarkable. That is, my world changed from being 'normal' in early January 2004, to a heap of ruins at the end of January 2004, to normal again over the past 54 months. It is difficult if not impossible to capture the emotions of these past years, or the anticipation of the years to come, but I can state accurately that the Lord has retained me here on this earth to offer hope to those who have been recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, and actually to encourage anyone who is facing a catastrophic, life changing situation.
