Birthdays are a special gift in and of themselves. There is something breathtaking about making it to another milestone even when the road there may have been a bit rough. It’s one of those days when the greetings prove that you are never really alone. There is more love in your life than you may ever imagine. Birthdays are a time when you realize that you are probably a great deal tougher than you may have thought, especially when you get into the higher numbers that indicate that you are one of the senior members of society.
I must admit that the events of this past year have been devastating at times. I have been so saddened by the amount of evil that exists in the world and I really do worry about how it will ultimately affect my grandchildren. My birthday was an opportunity to put things into perspective. Sure there were more terrorist attacks and I watched a Frontline production that was as frightening as anything that I have ever seen but the sun came out and the world kept moving forward. Besides, I learned that Mickey and Minnie Mouse share the same birthday as mine. Continue reading “Me and Mickey”
It’s my birthday in a few hours. I have spent sixty seven years on this earth. I have seen much. I lost my father at the age of eight and watched my mother devolve into extreme mental illness when I was twenty years old. I have lost a number of good friends and many relatives. I have seen a President assassinated and a hero shot down. I have watched friends coming back from Vietnam maimed or in coffins. I witnessed the end of segregation and the inauguration of the first black President. My children have grown and blessed me with seven grandchildren who have unfortunately lived in a world more uncertain than the one I knew when I was a kid. I have had a happy marriage and a wonderful career that allowed me to have a very meaningful life and to meet some of the finest people that I have ever known. While I have seen much evil, I like to believe that the vast majority of the world’s people are truly good. I suppose that I am a cockeyed optimist even after all these years. I prefer being that way rather then thinking that my glass is half empty. 
All It Takes Is A Little Love 