A Time To Reflect . . .

Today is a time to reflect, it is my 77th birthday.  I am getting old.  But that is not the issue.  Passing of time is the issue of the moment.

I never thought I would get this old.  I just did not consider that factor at all.  But I am and now I have to consider it all the time.  Did prepare, not really.  I just lived this long although I do have health issues.  Heart disease is prevalent in my family, my brother died years ago due to heart attacks.  Today's medicine probably would have prevented that altogether but modernization of Cardiology had yet to arrive in his day.  He did live well.  I have minor heart issues.

My mother probably died of heart failure.  Her sisters died of it.  My grandfather literally dropped dead on the street.  His physician simply said his heart was worn out.  He died in 1942 on a side walk in New Roads on his way to the local movie.  He loved moving pictures.  He was in his late sixties.

My father, on the other hand, died of cancer.  He had survived three previous cancers, but the fourth one got him.  He died of breast cancer as did his mother before him.  He was in his mid eighties when he past on having lived a full life so to speak.

I have no cancer and I believe that is because I spent my adult life away from Louisiana.  I do not know if it is bad water, bad air or some kind of combination of the two.  I certainly lived in bad air in California smog.  Air pollution was horrible out there. But so far no cancer.

I quit smoking on January 1, 1980.  I had made a deal with myself to quit and stay quit of tobacco smoke by my 40th birthday.  Now that is 37 years ago plus a few months.  I took a year to break all the habits surrounding smoking tobacco.  They are all gone now.  No regrets, don't miss it at all but I am not bothered by other smokers at all.  So I am not a rabid anti smoker kind of person.

Agent Orange exposure in Viet Nam led to my current health issues.  I am Type II Diabetic because of the exposure.  The chemical of detriment is Dioxin, it gets into your liver and stays there.  It took almost 40 years for it to catch up to me and it has play havoc with other parts of the body.  That is what diabetes does to you.  I get nice compensation from the Department of Veteran Affairs for my afflictions but would rather not collect and be healthy.  Not gonna happen.

I have slowed down.  I have lost weight. I am more moderate in alcohol consumption.  I adhere to the old adage of "all things in moderation" now days.  And I view everyday as a new day in my life to enjoy.  So a positive attitude helps me through the day.  Yes, I do have some small aches and pains but you learn to live with that.

So upon reflection I have been a lucky person. I had a great career in the USAF, I enjoyed working most of the time in Aerospace Industry as a System Safety Engineer.  I have the right personality for all of this after life and enjoy it.  So thank you, Lord, for all that you have done for me and my family.