A NEW YEAR
WELL HERE IT IS A
NEW YEAR AND I’M STILL ALIVE. I DIDN’T THINK I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
MY DAD DIED WHEN HE WAS 70 YEARS OLD. THAT WAS IN 1973. I THOUGHT IF
DAD LIVED 70 YEARS, THEN THAT’S WHAT I WOULD DO.
YOU KNOW THE THREE
SCORE AND TEN THING.
IN 1973, THAT SEAMED
LIKE A LONG TIME OFF. I WAS ONLY 41 YEARS OLD THEN. I DIDN’T GIVE IT
MUCH THOUGHT AT THE TIME. THEN IN 2002 WHEN I TURNED 70 YEARS OLD, I GAVE
IT A LOT OF THOUGH. NOVEMBER 12th OF 2002 WAS A REAL RED LETTER
DAY FOR ME.
I WONDERED HOW I
WOULD GO. IT’S NOT DIEING THAT I’M AFRAID OF. IT’S THE PAIN OF DIEING THAT
I FEAR. I’M RIGHT WITH GOD AND READY WHEN HE IS.
WHEN I WOKE UP ON
NOVEMBER 13th, I LAY THERE IN BED WONDERING IF I WAS DEAD. IT
DIDN’T TAKE ME LONG TO DECIDE THAT I WAS STILL ALIVE. MY BACK HURT, MY
HIPS HURT AND MY NOSE WAS RUNNING. BESIDES ALL THAT I NEEDED TO GO TO THE
BATHROOM.
I GOT UP AND WENT
INTO THE BATHROOM AND RELIEVED MY BLADDER. NOW THAT I’M UP I THOUGHT, I
MIGHT AS WELL GO AHEAD AND SHAVE. SO I SHAVED AND BRUSHED MY TEETH.
THEN I TOOK A HOT SHOWER. THAT ALWAYS HELPS MY ACHING JOINTS.
AFTER I GOT DRESSED
AND MADE MY BED I WENT INTO THE KITCHEN. I WAS HUNGRY SO I COOKED THREE
STRIPS OF BACON AND TWO EGGS OVER MEDIUM. WHILE THESE WERE COOKING I PUT
THE TEA KETTLE ON THE STOVE TO HEAT SOME WATER FOR JOHNNIE’S INSTANT COFFEE.
I GOT THE MILK OUT
OF THE REFRIGERATOR FOR MY DRINK. I DON’T DRINK COFFEE. BY THE TIME
I GOT THROUGH EATING, THE TEA KETTLE WAS WHISTLING AND JOHNNIE CAME IN AND MADE
HER FIRST CUP OF COFFEE. “JOHNNIE, CAN I MAKE YOU SOME BREAKFAST?”
HER ANSWER WAS, “NO, I WANT TO DRINK MY COFFEE AND WAKE UP BEFORE I EVEN THINK
ABOUT BREAKFAST.”
SO I WENT INTO THE
OFFICE TO CHECK AND ANSWER OUR EMAIL. WE HAD 36 EMAILS ALREADY. 33
WERE MINE AND 3 WERE JOHNNIE’S. I STARTED DOWN THE LIST OF EMAIL, READING,
ANSWERING AND DELETING UNTIL I HAD THE LIST WHITTLED DOWN TO 6. THEN
JOHNNIE CAME IN AND ASKED IF SHE HAD ANY MAIL THIS MORNING.
“JOHNNIE HAVE YOU
DECIDED WHAT YOU WANT FOR BREAKFAST YET?” “LOREN, YOU’VE BEEN IN HERE OVER
TWO HOURS NOW. I’VE ALREADY COOKED AND EATEN MY BREAKFAST. NOW GET
OUT OF THAT CHAIR AND LET ME READ MY MAIL.”
WELL I LET LITTLE
FOX OUT AND WENT OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH AND SAT DOWN IN ONE OF THE CHAIRS WE
HAVE ON THE PORCH.
OK, THIS IS TYPICAL
OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON EVERY DAY SINCE NOVEMBER 13th, 2002.
THE WAY I HAVE IT FIGURED IS EVERY DAY I LIVE NOW IS A BONUS. HERE IT IS
JANUARY 1st, 2005 AND I’M STILL ALIVE. SO GOD MUST HAVE A
REASON FOR KEEPING ME HERE.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT
THAT REASON IS, BUT I’M GOING TO KEEP ON DOING WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING UNTIL I FIND
OUT. IN THE MEAN TIME I’M HAVING FUN WRITING THESE LITTLE STORIES AND
SENDING THEM TO PEOPLE. IN FACT I’VE ALREADY STARTED MY NEXT STORY. I
WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT IT BUT, THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.