Happy Birthday to Me!

A whole lot has gone on this year.  I have had a few serious health scares.  My wife, Valerie has had more than her share of health scares.  Our girls have had difficulties, and even our dogs have had problems.  Man, it has been interesting.  But one thing I can do it genuinely celebrate the fact that I have gotten older.  I lived one more year.

September 17, 1967, was when I was born.  As I described it to a kid on the bus yesterday, “I was born before Austin Powers got transported in time.”  I really don’t know if she understood what I was talking about.  Anyway, Iwas born in the 60’s.  I put it another way a couple of years ago when I was speaking to a Vietnam veterans group in Soddy Daisy, TN.  I said, “When you were ‘in country,’ I was ‘in womb.'”  Fortunately, they actually got it and thought it was funny.  Good thing…they could have killed me, unlike the 10 year old.

Now, I have gotten some cool things for my birthdays over the years, thanks to loving parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, girlfriends, friends, co-workers, and other assorted associations.  But I can’t think of anything more cool, more fun, or more seriously (did I say) cool than a new 4G iPhone.  I have actually entered the most sophisticated, up-to-date, high-tech world of modern gadgetry.  Best of all, it is a brand new phone; not one handed down from somebody else who decided to upgrade, but felt sorry for me.  Who can I thank for this work of Apple art?  My lovely wife and children (and who knows, maybe even my son-in-law).

I am 43.  I won’t be long before I am 50.  Before I die there are several things that I would like to do at least once.  There are a few things that I would

like to do again.  One thing that I would like to do is drive a 67 fastback Ford Mustang again, one like I use to have.  I can still smell it.  I can still remember the feel.  Of course, I can still also remember rolling over several times in it, all the while praying to God “please don’t let me die!”  Anyway, I would love to drive one again, if not own one.

Another vehicle I would love to own again, or at least drive, would be a 68 F100 like my dad used to have.  That was a REAL truck.  I don’t see how the new ones even hold a candle to it.  When my dad was still alive, we used to imagine a perfectly restored 68 F100 pulling a scary, mean, black-on-black (like mine was) 67 Fastback on a trailer to a car show.  Now that kind of setup would cost as much as a house.  Oh well.  I can still dream, though.

Well, at least I have my family that loves me.  And even though I don’t have the truck and the car, I have a dang cool phone.  I have nothing to complain about.  Happy birthday to me!