Have you ever?

How many of you have grown up in a town small enough you were free to 

take off and be gone most of the day without your folks worrying about 

you? - I was.

How many went to grade school where they froze a pond on the 

playground and sunk a 55 gal. drum half way so you'd have something to 

do during recess in the winter? - I did (and our swing set was made with 

telephone poles! very high)

How many of you ever made a giant move in your young life from small 

town to Big City, 1200 to 350,000 ... I did. It was awesome.

How many have body surfed the Pacific Ocean and caught giant rides 

that felt like flying in water? I have

Got to go to the San Diego Zoo (2nd largest in the US) so many times 

we knew how to sneak in several ways even though it was free to kids.

Every skin dived and shot fish with home make spear guns? I have.

Ever won a fishing contest as a little fella? Won a mickey mouse watch 

for catching two fish at the same time.

Ever tramped the canyons so often you could run down the steep hills 

with ease? 

Ever shot and killed and ate Doves and pigeons by the bag full? (pellet 

guns n junior high)

Ever got to turn on to dark rooms and two tube radios and discovered 

geodes and all that neat junior high stuff? Played in the band, 

Orchestra, and marching band! Drums, Timpani and snare and 

Sousaphone... fun times.

My folks got talked into accordion lessons, brother Mike got stuck going, 

then mom would come home and teach me.... 4 years that gave me a real 

sense of music appreciation.

Ever had a paper route? I had two different ones, one paid $7/month 

and the other a whopping $15/month; bicycle routes, folded and 

delivered before school two days/three days a week.

ever sold greeting cards door to door? or mowed lawns with a non 

motorized mower (reel mower) ($1 a yard) or baby sat the neighbors 

kids?  I learned how money was made by the 6th grade!

Ever been to an after game dance with close to 5,000 kids there?
Battle of the bands with the Beach Boys and two other bands... (San 

Diego, 1963 14 high schools (public) ... 

Ever gone to a drag race? Ramona Drag strip in SD and even got to see 2 

world's records set at Carlsbad 7.56 seconds and 7.54! (that long ago)

Fallen in puppy love with more than one girl at once? ... killer!

Dropped out of high school and joined the Army? Put on 30# and 

learned how defend yourself? Gone over seas and seen how people still 

live without most of the things we take for granted? ... I did.

Have you ever packed a backpack and headed across the United 

States? by yourself? I did... off n on for almost 9 years.

Have you ever turned onto riding freight trains? I logged close to 

200,000 miles last time I figured it all up.

Have you ever backpacked into the back country by yourself for days at 

a time?  I have in several states.

Ever buy and ride a motorcycle? I had 3 and put 36,000 miles on one.

Ever skin dive the living coral reef? Ever been deep sea fishing?

Ever seen the sun set down on Key West? Ever read a letter by star 

light in Montana? Ever seen the Northern Lights?

Ever free climbed a cliff knowing your very first mistake would probably 

kill you? Ever gone backpacking in the High Sierra's without a map or 

permit?

Ever seen Yellowstone or Glacier or Yosemite? Ever hiked to the bottom 

of the Grand Canyon? I did twice. Ever seen the Giant Redwoods? Hiked 

any of the John Muir trail in the High Sierra's or the Appalachian 

Mountains?...yeah, I have.

Ever been blessed enough to find your soul mate? I have. too bad I was 

in such a rush, I'll always regret not having children with this woman!

Have you ever taken an idea and carried it to a functioning enterprise??
I have twice in my life. commercial grounds-keeping and publishing. both 

were successful.

Have you ever been involved in a miracle and known it was as it 

happened? - believe it or not, lots of times.

Both my sons were born using Lamaze, and both my daughters in birth 

centers. Very great privilege to witness and be a part of.

Have you ever been mad @ God? I mean really  mad... I have, and like a 

blind man refusing the lifesaver, I stopped praying and paid the price.

Now I'm old, almost 66, but they were hard years spent in abusing my 

body, smoking unfiltered cigarettes being the thing that finally brought 

me down. Now that I've already lived longer than I thought I would as a 

young man, I realize that is stupid thinking. I'll never get to spend 

quality time with my grand children!...that thought hurts and produces 

an ache that if I'd have been able to feel when I was in my 30's might 

have changed much of my life...but, water under the bridge now.