Gratitude

Every now and then I step back and try to find something to be happy about. It helps me stay sane, isn't that difficult and makes me a better person to be around. Remember the character C3PO in the "Star Wars" flicks? What a putz, always predicting doom and gloom. Who needs that?

So if you're reading this expecting the daily diet of things to get hacked off about you might as well move on. This is where I get all smarmy and maudlin. If you don't like it feel free to start your own blog. You've been warned!

I'm grateful that as bad as things seem to be they aren't worse. This is still the place we talk about erecting walls to keep people OUT vice IN. Not too many places in the world with that sort of a problem.

I'm grateful I've lived this long. I'm 54 and never thought I'd get past 30. Anyone in my age bracket remembers air raid drills at school, talk of building fallout shelters, etc. We've got more than enough problems to keep our attention but really, when in modern times hasn't there been some great crisis just over the horizon? Read H.G. Wells, some of his stuff gets pretty grim and he's been dead a LONG time! One of the advantages of getting older is realizing that when ten disasters are careening down life's highway towards you the chances are that nine will go into the ditch. And somehow we always get past that tenth one. I'm grateful for that.

I'm grateful for my lovely wife. She took a chance on me and I on her when a lot of folks said we must both be nuts to stay with each other. Things are great so far. Third time really is the charm!

I'm grateful for our two sons and the daughter we'll have in March/April, God willing. Children are a gift from God and He evidently feels kind of generous towards me.

I'm grateful that whatever health problems I have can be taken care of with meds, hearing aids and bifocals. Yeah, sometimes getting older really sucks but in my case it's all treatable. And I even have the little blue pill for my recreation! Enough said there.

I'm grateful for my job. The hours are a strain at times but it pays good, the boss is great and the work itself is easy. Truth to tell I can do most of my blogging at work, what does that tell you about my job? Cake!

I'm grateful for having spent 22 years in the submarine force. A really fine Navy we've got there and I had the chance to be a part of it.

I'm even grateful for my two cats. They're quiet, affectionate, patient with my sons and fairly clean.

Gratitude allows me to really appreciate what I have. If anyone is still reading this, well I'm grateful you've stuck with it this long.

Have a good day and God Bless ya.