Life has a way of seeming to be on cruise control with very little happening but the day to day routine then all of a sudden things change as though you've stepped into a whirlwind. Such was the case at this point in the history of my life. After nearly two and one half years of seemingly spinning my wheels, changes came into my life fast and furiously. Factory work had become my means of support in early 1980 and during the next year my experiences on the dating scene had become quite frustrating. At that time it seemed that marriage was not even remotely possible to the extent that I had decided to go out and buy a new car during the summer of 1980. There was an abrupt change as January of 1981 rolled around!
The second weekend in January, 1981 found me in a situation that was very unusual for me in that my schedule included dates with different young ladies on consecutive nights. My date on Friday night went very well from my perspective and I'd have absolutely asked that girl out again except for what happened the next night. On Saturday night my date was with Lynn, one of the most beautiful young ladies I've ever met in my life. After that first date, it was all over! There was no other woman for this country boy. Two weeks into our dating scene we were planning marriage and on June 5, 1981 we began our life together and yes, she got the new car. Today, over 30 years, two wonderful children, a daughter-in-law and a precious grandson later, we are still together. We've experienced highs and lows, joys and sorrows, laughter and pain, good times and hard times and we have held on through it all. We have learned that life is neither all good nor all bad and that through faith in The Higher Power we can enjoy the good and overcome the bad.
There will be more history filled in as we go but, jumping ahead to the present; there is something that I feel is worth inserting at this point. The changes that we experience in life can have varying effects on us and that has certainly been true in my life. One most significant change that has brought abundant joy into my life is the birth of my grandson. He is the light of my life and watching him grow and develop for almost three years now has blessed me beyond description. The anticipation of watching that sweet child as he grows and changes and to see what he becomes has given me a great desire to grow old and to be there for him each step of the way. I read somewhere that, "raising teenagers is like trying to nail jello to a tree" and after raising two teenagers that statement certainly seems to fit. No wonder so many grandparents say, "If I had known grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first". Nothing melts away a bad day like spending time with my little grandson.
So then, the whirlwind of life has brought me to where I am today – married for 30 years, a wonderful family, retired after 31 years of factory work and a used car salesman. That's right, I've set up a used car lot and after all those years of working a job that never brought much joy, I'm finally enjoying work. Who knows what the future will hold, but hopefully it will involve more grandchildren!
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