AND NOW THE REST OF THE STORY........


Tuesday will be my 65th birthday.  I remember back when 65 was considered to be a "Senior Citizen."   Then as medical care became better and some of us decided we should take better care of ourselves,  we began to live longer.  And then  someone decided it would be a good thing since we were living longer,  maybe we should get old sooner and we became "Senior Citizens" at the age of 55.  In fact AARP wanted my money so bad they declared me to be a senior at age 50.  Seems everyone except Social Security wants me to be a senior citizen sooner and sooner.  If the government had their way none of us would be eligible to draw any money from Social Secuity  until age 85.  Have you noticed that it all comes back to money?  And when I say all,  I mean that first thought that usually come to mind when thinking about or discussing anything. 

When I got up this morning I made me a glass of tea,  sat down at the computer, clicked to my local newspaper and prepared myself for my daily dose of depression.
After stomaching  all I cared to about the world,  politics, disasters and the like,  I then clicked to Facebook.  The first thing I saw was that a couple of old High School friends, Roy Jarrett and Jim Bello, had written on my wall.  I haven't seen either of these men in many years but they both played a big part in the process of my life I like to call growing up.  They were writing to wish me a Happy Birthday.  As is usually the case,  my mind,  all of a sudden started to swing back and forth between being 65 and the good times of playing football with Roy and baseball with Jim.  I went from the depression of the news to the happiness of childhood in a matter of seconds.

I then thought about many of the  days in the past,  days that back then seemed just to be so routine but now are so special in my memory.  Like the daily trips taking Cindy and Vicki to Middle School, that at the time seemed so mundane, but now as I recall them making fun of me because I liked to listen to Paul Harvey and his...."And Now The Rest Of the Story" on the radio and his "Bunn-o-Matic Coffee Maker" commercials,  it is moments like these that bring such a warmth to my heart and a gigantic smile to my face.

Or it is moments like yesterday when the whole family is together and time is shared between brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins and in laws and children and parents.  It's knowing that everyday is special.  It's realizing that everyday is truly a gift from God.

Have you  thought about your life lately?  I mean really  thought about it?  Sometimes now in my life I get the feeling I want to....no wait...."want to" isn't  what I feel.  The right expression is a feeling that I "need to" write something.  Do you ever feel a need to put something on paper?  A need to express a feeling you have?  A need to tell how you love something or someone?   And then just as quickly a feeling of fear comes over you.  "I can't write" you tell yourself.  "It will be boring" that inter self tells you.  "People will laugh at me" the voice whispers.  And then you convince yourself...... "I really don't have anything to say."    I have a secret to tell you.  There is nothing to fear and you DO really have something to say.  Think of your life as a book and each day is a clean page.  That clean page needs something on it.  Every day is your special day and every day has a special story for you to tell.  Come Tuesday of this week,  I will have lived 23,742 days.  That's 23,742 stories I have to tell.  I'm way behind and better get busy.

Every day, you're writing a new story too.  Someone needs to hear it.  The blank page is before   you.  Time may be running out.  If you're not a senior citizen,  You will be before you know it.  I hope to read your first story soon.

God Bless

J. Wesley Daniell