Oh, Wow!  I can feel it coming on.  I am seeing visions;  I am am having flashbacks; I am being transported into strange, but wonderful and exciting land.  I seem to have an affliction. I think is can safely be diagnosed as “Travel Fever”.

Traveling….anywhere….here in the U.S.A. or around the world…..has long been one of the things that I like to do most. If I were rich, I am sure that I would probably be sitting in some strange, exotic, foreign land almost all of the time……and for the most part, I really don’t care where it is……just somewhere else. It is rather strange how I got caught up in this desire to travel. Back in the “old days”, I really didn’t go anywhere. I had no desire to……until one night in May, 1962. I was living in Hutchinson in a cramped two room apartment. The school year had ended, and one night one of my friends from my home town of Sterling came down to my apartment. We were sitting around talking. The subject turned to the World’s Fair which was currently underway in Seattle, Washington. Somehow, suddenly…..spontaneously…..we thought it would be a great idea if could go see it. No….we were both perfectly sober. And….No…..those who know me are aware that I am not a “spontaneous” person! It is just not my nature to do things on the spur of the moment…..without thinking about it…..and especially without making almost minute by minute plans. But…..Yes….I was still very young then…..still almost a puppy…..although an almost grown puppy. I did stupid things back then….did things sometimes without thinking of the consequences….sometimes without even knowing what I was really doing. Maybe that is why I have changed so much today…..driving friends insane with my constant need to plan every event in my life with great care and in great detail. Not that taking a trip to the West Coast was stupid. It is just that this was the first major solo trip of my life……and it came about almost by accident…..without prior warning. Within a few hours….literally…. we had packed my little red Volkswagen Bug…..and we were on our way. On our way to the West Coast…..on our way to Seattle…..where ever that was! We had no plan. How could we? It was only a few hours earlier that we had decided to make the trip. But, obviously, we headed in the right direction…..because we did eventually end up in Seattle…..and at the World’s Fair. I would say that details of the trip are sketchy……but that wouldn’t be quite true. Most of the details are simply non-existent! We picked up maps from service stations…..they were free back then, believe it or not…..and we must have planned our trip on an almost minute by minute basis. We had no tent. When evening came, we found a comfortable spot off the highway…..almost always near a stream or a creek or a lake…..unrolled our sleeping bags…..started a small fire where ever we could…..and went to sleep under the stars. Many mornings we would wake up covered with dew, our sleeping bags almost drenched from the nighttime condensation. I often wonder how many times we trespassed on private property. But….nobody seemed to care…..certainly not us. We took a bath in streams or creeks…..ate sandwiches…..carried a cooler with some ice and water…..took enough clothing to last for two weeks…..listened to the car radio. We thought….and felt like….we were big dogs. Two or three nights we slept on the beach…..something that is illegal today…..and maybe was back then, too. We gathered some drift wood, started a fire, and enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves as they lulled us to sleep. Offer me a million dollars to reconstruct the route we took as we traveled both to and from Kansas on that trip. Go ahead…..offer! You are safe. You are not going to lose any money. I have no idea how we got there…..and I have no idea how we got back. But…..I do know we made it. I have pictures to prove it. Speaking of pictures. They are the only reference I have to indicate where we went….the territory we covered. Although I have no clear recollection of the places…..we visited Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, the Pacific Coast….both in Washington and in Oregon…..Reno, Salt Lake City and Rocky Mountain National Park. Like I said…..I know this only because of the black and white pictures that I took.. We spent two or three days visiting a cousin in south central Washington. He had a dairy farm at the time…..and he raised hops. We spent most of our days moving irrigation pipes, feeding hay to the cattle….whatever else needed to be done. And….we had a blast doing it. Only three places come to mind when I try to recall this trip: The Space Needle, the Pacific Coast, Salt Lake City…..and my cousin’s farm, of course. All of these were a “first”, of course. And, two of them I never forgot! The Pacific Coast….and Salt Lake City. This was a great trip….even if I can’t remember the details. It probably was the event that turned me on to travel! And….I liked it! Then….one day I got a letter from my local selective service board inviting me to become a part of the U.S. Army. To say that I did not want to go to the Army is vastly understating the situation. But….this was one of those “command performance” sort of deals. So….I went. And….I liked it! While I was stationed at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, I had a very desirable job. I was administrative assistant to the commander. I was happy there….and my boss was happy……and I was also good at my job. Then one day, I got another invitation…..an invitation to give up my desirable job on the outskirts of Indianapolis and go to South Vietnam. I wanted to decline the “invitation”, but Uncle Sam insisted that I honor the invitation. So…..I went to South Vietnam. And…..again…..I liked it. Again I had a very desirable job. I was secretary to the Adjutant General of the U. S. Army in Vietnam. A very good job. I liked my job…..my boss liked me….and I did a very good job. While I was in South Vietnam, I was given the opportunity to take several short trips in Southeast Asia…..Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok…..while some of our airplanes were receiving maintenance. These places were exciting and fascinating….a world that I had never known before. And, I liked it. When I left the Army, I had a wonderful opportunity to return to South Vietnam with an organization called the International Voluntary Services. After a year of teaching English in a provincial capital called Phan Rang…..I was promoted to the position of Chief of Education. In this position, I had as many as 72 teachers working under me. Part of my job was to visit them in their local town and give them support. I spent three years in this position….and during this three years, I was able to travel to many of the countries in Southeast Asia….Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Taiwan. There may have been others, but those are the ones that come to mind. I had been bitten by the Travel bug….I had contracted Travel Fever……and I never recovered from it. It was these experiences that hooked me on travel. I recall that very first trip to the Pacific Coast with a great deal of fondness, nostalgia….and wistfulness…….and for several years, I limited my travel to places in the U.S.A……mostly the Oregon Coast…..and points in-between. During these trips, I became much more modern and sophisticated in my travels. I now owned a tent…..and I added a camper shell and a foam rubber mattress to the back of my pickup. Now I could travel in style and comfort. Well…..relatively. It was better than sleeping on the ground under the stars…..sort of. In fact, I have been to every state west of the Mississippi River……and most of them to the east, too. The next major event in my life was hosting my first foreign exchange student…..a student from Germany. I made my first trip to Europe in 1995….and I have returned there….mostly to Germany….almost every year since then. Sometimes more than one time a year. My first “grand tour” of Europe was in 1995…..in the summer time. Although I have made return visits to Europe three or four times in the summer, I quickly discovered that traveling in the “off season” is much cheaper. And for a not-too-well-paid school teacher, that was very important. For the next several years, most of my trips were made during whatever vacation time we had in the school year…..most of the time during cold months….but with a few summer trips thrown in now and then when I could afford it. After I retired, I discovered that the month of April is the most ideal month for me to travel. After a rather long string of rather unsatisfactory “house sitters”……I had a dog….and I also burned wood, at the time…..I almost became reluctant to leave home. Would these house sitters take adequate care of my dog? Would I come back home to find that my house had burned down…..reduced to a pile of ashes? My last wonderful dog, Abby, died in 2004. And while it was a wrenching experience for me….it left me free to travel almost any time I wanted. By April, it was warm enough to simply lock the house and take off. So far, I have visited eleven countries in Europe…..with several more on my “bucket list”. I spent the summer of 1989 working in Yellowstone National Park…..and the summer of 2006 working in Big Bend National Park. Both of these jobs were interesting and rewarding experiences…..although in vastly different ways. During my travels, I have seen sites, experienced things and met people that I never even dreamed of before I served in the U.S. Army. It is one of those blessings in disguise that people talk about, I suppose. You never know what you are missing until you try it….and I am glad that I tried it. It is a lot better to be hooked on travel than a lot of other things that I can think of. An extra added benefit of my travel experiences has been the decision to host a wide variety of foreign travelers, that I met through a couple international hospitality organizations. Some stay for a couple days…..some for a couple months. I have hosted a strange and exotic bunch of people: Europeans, Asians, Africans, Americans. Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims. And also a couple of communists from China….thrown in to make the mix more diverse…..and to add an element of political intrigue….although neither of these guys could have cared less about such stuff. Not were these guests interesting people from whom I have learn much….although I rarely agree with them….but hopefully, they have learned equally as much from me……and I have made some life long friend. And now I also have a place to stay (for free) in my future travels. Until now, I have visited twenty-one different countries…..and I hope that I can visit at least that many more in the future. In my way of looking at things….travel is never time spent unwisely….and is a good investment for the money spent. So why do I travel? I don’t know. Maybe it is because I feel that it enriches my life. Makes me more aware that there is somewhere else besides Kansas. Maybe it makes me appreciate coming back home to Kansas after spending time in places so vastly different from the life I lead here in my rural Kansas setting…..and, I always do. But, more than anything else, I think it broadens my life. It gives me a perspective of the world that I would not and could not have if I had not traveled to these places. Now I have a “feel” about how these people live….what kind of life they live…..what kind of problems they face. I have learned not to stereotype all the people of different nationalities, races, cultures, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. Just like here in the U.S.A……here in Kansas….there are “good” people, and there are “bad” people. We have mostly law-abiding citizens…..but we also have criminals; we have those people who spread love…..and we also have people who spread hate; we have people who practice the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”…..but we also have our share of bigoted people who preach love and peace……but in their daily life are intolerant, vindictive, dogmatic, hateful and racist…..mostly in the name of religion or politics. As I have traveled in the U.S.A. and around the world, I have found that the vast majority of people are dedicated to providing a good life for their children and family. They go to work in the morning, do their job, and come back home to rest and to enjoy their family. And, I have found that they…..just like us…..want to live in peace. But…..on a more personal level: I doubt if all the traveling I have done has made me a “better” person than anybody else in the true sense of the word. After all, we are all about the same, no matter where we have been or what we have done. But…..to me, at least, it has vastly enriched my life. I know there is life beyond the boundaries of my township or even my state. And, I have a much better understanding of how people live and what they are like because I have been there….I have seen it…..I have walked among them…..I have experienced the culture and the life style. I have met the people. I have observed their behavior. When I say that I have eaten Chinese food….or Italian food…..or Mexican food…..or German food. I really have. Not in a Chinese buffet…or a Pizza Hut….or a Taco Bell….or an Olive Garden…… But, I have sat down in native eating places…..far off the beaten paths of tourists….and have eaten food prepared by natives…for natives. I have stood in front of….taken pictures of…..explored…..buildings and monuments that most people only see in pictures or on TV travel shows. I have walked the avenues of great cities. I have sat in the neighborhood bars with the local people. I have lived in their homes. I have watched their TV programs (although somebody had to tell me what they were saying). I have traveled for miles on city buses, crossed countries riding second or third class on trains. I have taken automobile trips through the countryside….through the small villages and towns where foreigners seldom venture. I have witnessed local and national celebrations and holidays. I have been present during political unrest and revolt….as well as riots and demonstrations. It is more of a personal thing, I suppose. I found out long ago that nobody is really very interested in where I have been…..and certainly not looking at the 12,000 pictures that I have taken. I think my life is richer, more fulfilled….and that I am more empathetic and sympathetic to the lives, feelings, cultures, and ways of living of people in our rapidly shrinking global village. Yes…..long ago I contracted Travel Fever……and I don’t know what the cure is. And, I don’t want to know. It is the best kind of affliction that I can imagine. In fact, I would like to pass it on to everybody I know.And I do not want to be cured. Because….I like it.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. That was the name of a popular song from the middle and late 1960’s…..in the midst of the war in Vietnam. It was particularly beloved by American soldiers who were serving in South Vietnam during those years. It was almost impossible to go into a bar in Saigon and not hear that song being performed…..either on a juke box or by a live entertainer. San Francisco, of course, was the city from which most soldiers departed to make their long journey to the Southeast Asian war zone…..and it was there to which they counted the days until their return. But,,,,me? I didn’t leave my heart in San Francisco. I left my heart in…..Saigon.

Considering how much I did NOT want to go to South Vietnam when I received my orders in 1962….and how nervous and apprehensive I was when I arrived at Tan Son Nhut Airport, I look back with amazement how quickly I adapted to the city…..and how quickly I learned to love it.

My initial introduction to Saigon was a ride in an Army bus, whose windows were covered with a heavy mesh screen…..just in case somebody tried to throw a grenade in the window, I suppose. I stepped off the airplane into sweltering heat….into a place that was like nothing I had ever seen before. Soldiers were everywhere. Maybe that was because we were at war. The buildings looked different; the people looked different; the landscape looked different; the traffic was unbelievable.

We took a short ride to our military compound…..my new home for the next year. The bus was deathly quiet. I am not sure exactly what I had expected. Maybe something similar to the army posts at Ft. Leonard Wood? Or Ft. Benjamin Harrison? Where I had previously been stationed. Maybe an orderly collection of barracks, office buildings, parade grounds and mess halls? When we pulled into the front gate of our compound, I got my answer. Mostly there was a collection of barracks, offices, and mess halls. But, they looked nothing like those of my two former army bases.

All the “barracks” were really nothing more than glorified tents….canvas buildings…..almost completely surrounded by sandbags which extended up to the windows. And…the windows? They extended completely around the building, too. They were covered with screen, in an attempt to keep out the mosquitoes. They were build with long, over-extending eves…..an attempt to keep out the rain…..which there was a lot of. On the inside of the barracks….or sleeping quarters is probably a better name for them….. or as we called them: huts…..there were shades or awnings, made of bamboo. These shades could be rolled down when the rain was so heavy and driving that even the overhanging eve couldn’t keep out the water.

The office where I was ultimately assigned, the Adjutant’s General’s office…..was of similar construction and design. It was almost like camping out!

No doubt about it. If I would had have a choice, I would have climbed on an airplane and headed back to the U.S.A. But, of course, I didn’t have that choice. And, looking back, I am happy and almost thankful that I didn’t. I would have missed out on some of the greatest and most memorable years of my life.

I really don’t remember how long it was before I was brave enough to venture into downtown Saigon…..about three or four miles from the airbase. Probably not very long. I met another soldier who worked in another of the sections….and we became friends almost immediately. Armed with an ally, it was much easier to be brave….and strike out to discover what downtown Saigon was all about.

In the military, the only way to get downtown was to take a cab….little blue and yellow Volkswagens…..or a human powered cyclo…..or a motorized, open air petti-cab. No matter which one we chose…..we could be assured of an exciting, hair-raising ride. Taxi drivers were fearless. It is amazing that half the population wasn’t killed off as a result of wildly careening taxis.

Our first visit to downtown Saigon was an awesome experience. A tapestry of sights and sounds and smells that almost overwhelmed our senses. The streets were packed with wall-to-wall traffic…..with every kind of transportation imaginable: cars, army trucks, taxis, delivery vans; jeeps, cyclos, petti cabs, carts pulled by water buffalo, motor scooters and bicycles. Oh….those motor scooters and those bicycles! They were ubiquitous…..everywhere. Most Vietnamese couldn’t afford to own an automobile. The motor scooter was the family transportation….the family car. Entire families could manage to ride on one motor scooter. For those who couldn’t afford a motor scooter, a bicycle would take its place.

Just as the streets were crowed with a jumble of diverse and disparate vehicles, the sidewalks were packed with an equally dense mass of varied humanity…..sometimes shoulder to shoulder, elbow to elbow. People dressed in the traditional Vietnamese garb were intermixed with soldiers in their uniforms, Westerners, assorted foreigners in their native dress…..and always the children, many small ones who were naked or only scantily dressed.

The street scenes were something that I had never seen before: colorful, exotic, sensual. The streets are lined with open front stores and shops, selling…..well, almost anything you would want to buy. The sidewalks were a jumble of little kiosks…or tables….or simply with merchandise which was laid out on the sidewalk. The vendors were calling out to the passers-by, imploring and enticing them to buy their wares. We were always puzzled at the amount of American-made goods which were available for sale. Merchandise which had obviously been stolen…..which was one of the common economic endeavor of some Vietnamese people.

There were streets devoted to selling flowers…..a beautiful sight. Streets devoted to selling food…chickens, ducks, pigs hanging from hooks. Other streets specialized in selling live animals. Or cloth. Or clothing.

The first few times my friend and I went into downtown, it was strange and exciting. And, there was also the ever-present, underlying feeling of uneasiness…..the need to be cautious. The need to always be aware. We always kept our money and wallet in our front pocket. It was far too easy to lose these to a pickpocket….and never know it until it was too late.

Underneath all the hustle and bustle, all of the seeming confusion….Saigon was really a very relaxed, laid-back city. Actually, contrary to outward appearances, nobody was really in a hurry. Sooner or later, everything would get done…..maybe. Saigon shut down during the early afternoon hours…..sort of a siesta time. Shops and offices closed and the people disappeared from the streets for two or three hours during the hottest part of the day, only to come back to life again….like lifting a flood gate.

After a while, the newness wore off, and everything started to take on an air of familiarity. The newness wore off…..the excitement diminished. But the charm of the city became stronger…..like a magnetic field that never weakened.

When my enlistment time came to an end….yes, I have to admit, I was somewhat eager to return home. Not because I wanted to leave Saigon…..or even that I was tired of being in the Army. A former boss of mine, who was now the military attache in Turkey offered me a job….a good job. I turned it down, too. I looked forward to going back home again to reunite with family and friends.

No sooner had I gotten home….and I started to become restless. I enrolled in Sterling College in order to become certified as an elementary teacher. It was during my student teaching days….a complete joke because I had already taught for two and a half years…..I was sitting in the back of the classroom thumbing through a magazine to relieve the boredom…..a magazine called “Redbook”, I think. As I was casually flipping through the pages, I came upon a story about the International Voluntary Services….how it was made up of young volunteers who were committed to working in under developed places like South Vietnam to raise their standard of living.

Ah, ha! I knew immediately that this would be the way I could….and would….return to South Vietnam.

And I did return….and spent the next three years living in South Vietnam….first in the coastal town of Phan Rang…..and then in Saigon. I was appointed as the Associate Chief of Party for Education, a position that placed me in nominal charge of about 72 teachers who were scattered about the country teaching English.

It was during these three years that I really became to know and love Saigon….and indeed, South Vietnam. After an unpleasant bout of hepatitis, I settled into what would become a familiar and comfortable pattern of living. Five days a week,,,,,during the day time…..I worked in my office in downtown Saigon. But….at night and on the weekend, I was free to roam about the city….and to become a part of it.

I know it probably sounds bad….but I spent almost every night in a bar. Yeah….it sounds bad, but aside from staying in my room, where there was no air-conditioning and where the electric power was sporadic, it was more comfortable to simply go sit in a comfortable, air-conditioned bar. There was a constant stream of volunteers who came through Saigon…..each of whom expected to be entertained. And, about the only constant source of entertainment was going to a bar.

Contrary to the culture of many people here in the U.S.A……Yes, you can go into a bar, sit all evening…..and leave the bar sober! And, that is basically what we did. The bars of Saigon….at least the ones we frequented….were safe, friendly places. Well…..for the most part. We took special care to stay out of bars where Australian soldiers or South Vietnamese soldiers were likely to be found. They were crazy…..or could be…..after they had had a few too many drinks. They obviously were fond of fighting….brawls. Chairs would be broken; mirrors smashed; tables overturned; lips bloodied; eyes blackened. The MP’s would be called…..they would arrive and break up the fight. I really have no idea what happened to these soldiers. I know that the South Korean MP’s….or whatever they were called….could be vicious. It was simply better to avoid places like this.

By the time I had returned to Saigon, I was already familiar with a few bars that we had discovered while I was there in the Army. We chose our bars mostly based on the kind of music that was being played. For example, one bar….our main bar….had an awesome guitar player….and also a terrific drummer. Not to mention an American singer who performed there almost every night. She worked in a government office somewhere in Saigon. Another bar….our second main bar…..had a clarinet player who could easily have played for a major symphony orchestra.

We visited these bars so often that we became acquainted with most of the musicians and waitresses. Why shouldn’t we know them? We were there almost every night of the week. It wasn’t long before we had a “reserved” table in both of these bars…..and right up close to the stage. As soon as we would walk into the door, a waitress usually spotted us, and it wasn’t very long before we had a gin and tonic sitting in front of us.

Another of our “traditions” was to sit and sip coffee on the veranda of the Continental Palace Hotel on Sunday morning. Here we could sit in the relative coolness of the veranda with ceiling fans turning leisurely above us, stirring the air just enough to keep it comfortable. From our table we could relax and watch the Sunday morning traffic as it converged on two of the fashionable Saigon avenues….To Do Street and Nyugen Hue Street. Immediately in front of us was the old Opera House, which was used for a variety of purposes….National Assembly Building (when this was allowed), or as an art gallery. Or an exhibition space. It was not at all unusual for the purpose of buildings to change almost overnight. Straight ahead of us, across the wide plaza, was the Rex Hotel….home of many of the news gathering and reporting organizations.

Actual “culture” was hard to find in this city in the midst of a war taking place in the countryside. And, this was true especially for Americans. There were no English-speaking movie theaters. No symphony orchestra. No live theater performances. No performances by popular rock bands. No educational opportunities. No lectures or forums.

Yes….there were art galleries…..most of which featured Vietnamese artists…..and most of the subject matter centered around paintings of Saigon….or the immediate area around Saigon…..or of the war. Looking back, I wish that I had bought some of the paintings to bring home with me. But, somehow I never thought of that at the time. And….yes, there was always live music to be found in the bars. But this was local talent….some good and some not so good. Then, there was the local, exclusive tennis club and the house racing track. I never went to either of these places, so I don’t if they were frequented by American or not…..although I suspect that they were both hangouts for the more affluent.

The major American attraction that we could count on every year was the Bob Hope Christmas Show. Every Christmas season, Hope and his entourage of popular American singers, dancers and comedians would perform at several military installations around South Vietnam. These shows were carried out under tight security….and were always popular with the troops…..and civilians, too. I saw all of them….all four years that I was in South Vietnam….and I enjoyed them. They were a touch of home…..a touch of the familiar. (Even though I found out later that for Bob Hope, they were mainly a lucrative source of revenue because they were filmed and always aired on TV back in the U.S.A. at a handsome profit for him. Oh well…..)

I remember one day we found out that an American ballet company was coming to Saigon for a performance. It was hyped as a major cultural event. And, tickets were difficult to obtain. Somehow our organization was able to come up with eight or ten of these coveted tickets. The ballet was being performed in the late afternoon in one of the downtown (Vietnamese) movie theaters. We all took off work early, got dressed up in our best clothing….and set out for the theater….ready to welcome a bit of American culture to our lives. Wow! What a shock. What a let down. The ballet troop consisted of several overweight women along with some middle age men dressed in tight fitting leotards…..that they should not have been wearing! The entire performance was almost comical. Looking back….maybe it was supposed to be. No….I don’t think so. We left the theater feeling let down, dismayed, bewildered……and very annoyed. I am sure their intentions were good and noble. But, if they had day jobs……they should have stuck with them.

Being a guest in the home of a Vietnamese family was a pure delight. The Vietnamese people have a special capacity for making a guest…..in my case, an American guest…..feel welcome. They possess a certain flair for making a person feel special….the center of the universe at that particular time and place. There is much bowing and gesturing….never-ending smiles….and much scurrying around to assure the comfort of the guest. And….there is always tea! You can count on it. You can set your watch by it. And, not big glasses of ice team with a slice of lemon. Oh, horrors! No…..you will always be served hot tea, poured out of a tea pot into delicate little tea cups. And…..it is polite….almost mandatory…..for the guest to sip the tea. Not to take at least one little sip of tea would be a serious social mistake….and mark you as somebody who does not appreciate their hospitality….or their home….or maybe even them. It would be a great disappointment to the Vietnamese host or hostess…..and maybe even an insult. But, be forewarned: As long as you empty the tea cup…..another cup will be poured immediately. Your cup will never remain empty for very long. So…..unless you are really thirsty…..and you really want to keep drinking tea…..always leave some tea in the cup. That will indicate to your host that you are satisfied…..and no more tea will be offered. Actually, the same is true of food, if you are invited for a meal.

I am not the only person who found the allure and charm of Saigon and its people to be appealing and magnetic. Hundreds of American military and civilian personnel stayed behind in Saigon….or returned to Saigon (just like I did) after their tour of service had ended or after their civilian contracts had expired. Hundreds of them married Vietnamese girls and either brought them to the U.S.A. to live or stayed behind to try and make a life for themselves in South Vietnam…..mostly in Saigon. When the South Vietnamese government collapsed and the communists took over, their dream of staying in Saigon also collapsed when they were forced to flee the country…..which most of them did, along with their wife….and most of their wife’s family. But….who knows how many opted to stay behind and take their chances with the newly victorious communist regime.

Saigon has a way of seducing a person…..of working its beguiling magic on those who have lived there….always enticing them to return. For me, it a feeling that never seems to go away.

 

 

I have only had four permanent homes in my entire life.

To me that does not seem like very many….but it probably three more than many people I know have had. Yes….I have lived in several different places. When I first started teaching; when I was in the Army; when I lived in South Vietnam. But, they were temporary…..and I knew that at the time. I knew that soon I would be leaving there and going “home”.

To me, a “permanent” home is a place where you know you are going to live….settle down….put roots. It is a place that you have no intention of leaving….at least, not at any time in the foreseeable future.

My four permanent homes have been in Lyons, KS; in Sterling, KS; in Saigon, South Vietnam; and in Valley Falls, KS. Yeah…I am a Kansas boy. Born and raised here, as they say. I have travelled around the world….but somehow I have always managed to end up here in Kansas. I am not sure why that was. Maybe it was fate; maybe it was the only place that I “was sure of”; maybe it was because most of my family and friends lived here; or because I found jobs here; or maybe it was just meant to be. Whatever the reason, for all practical purposes, Kansas has been home for most of my life.

I have never been ashamed about being from Kansas…..even though people have looked at me incredulously, and said, “You live in Kansas?” …..like maybe there is something wrong with it. But, it doesn’t bother me. I would rather live in the land of Dorothy and Oz….and take my chances with a tornado, as awful and destructive as they can be, rather than live under the constant threat of hurricanes and earthquakes. At least, you can take cover from a tornado.

I would rather wake up to the peace and quiet of a Kansas countryside, and look out over the expanses of “flat” land…..rather than wake up to smog, pollution, traffic jams, high cost of living and a high crime rate. We may not have mountains…..but we have endless wheat fields that furnishes the bread for Southern California. We do not have ocean beaches….but we produce the beef that keeps McDonald’s in business.

So….what about these places where I have lived “permanently” during varying periods of my life? The first place was in Lyons, KS. Actually, do not remember as much about it as I would like to remember. It has been a long time ago. The house where we lived is no longer there…..the house and land has been the victim of “urban sprawl”……Lyons, KS style. What used to be a dirt road is now paved. What used to be open fields is now a residential area.

The summer before I entered the 8^th grade, we moved to Sterling. This is the first home that I can remember well. Sterling was a conservative little town. It was the home of Sterling College, sponsored by the United Presbyterian Church. There were no liquor stores in Sterling….and maybe there still aren’t. The only place one could by beer was in a pool hall. And….yes, it really was a pool hall….complete with pool tables. I worked for Dillon’s during high school and college. Today, almost every grocery store in the state sells 3.2 beer. But….we didn’t. If you wanted to buy beer….beer to take home….you had to drive to Lyons or maybe Nickerson. I am not really sure, because I didn’t buy beer to take home!

Since I worked for Dillon’s….and worked there for eight years…..I think I knew almost everybody in town. There were only two grocery stores and most people in town shopped in both stores. And, since I carried groceries to customer’s cars, I also knew almost every car in town.

Sterling is my hometown. It is the town I remember the best. It is where I went to junior high school, high school and college….those growing up and coming of age years.

While I was living there, I loved that town. I liked going to school. I liked working at Dillons. I liked my friends. I liked the people who lived in the town. It was a place where I fit in and felt comfortable. I thought I never wanted to leave.

One Saturday morning when I was in college, I was sitting in a booth in one of our local drug stores drinking a Coke with some friends who happened to be hanging out there at the time, too. (And, Yes….it is true. Both our drug stores had soda fountains where you could buy cherry or chocolate or vanilla Cokes…..or cherry limeades….or a chocolate sundae. And, yes…..the high school kids actually would go there to hang out after school or on weekend. It was a place to meet your friends.) Getting back to the story: We were sitting with one of our former high school classmates. She had joined the Navy and had been away for a couple years. She was now a nurse in the Navy. I remember her telling us about all the places she had been……and then she said she never could….and never would….come back to Sterling to live. It was “too boring.”

I…..the other too….was shocked. What? Never come back to this town? The town that I loved….and never wanted to leave! What a snob! She goes away for a couple years….and then comes back and thinks she is better than we are. Wow….I couldn’t believe she was saying all this stuff.

But, as I look back, that is probably the same as it is everywhere….in all small, close-knit towns. That is their world…..until something forces them into reality…..out into the “real” world. Most likely this would be something like going away to college….military service….a job…..getting married. Something that takes you out of your comfort zone…..and into a world that perhaps you never knew existed. For me, it was the military…..but that is a story for later on.

No…..I spent my formative years in Sterling. Living a happy and contented life. Sterling is a small town with a population of 2295 people in the 2010 census……the 7050 biggest city in the USA. Sterling, like most small towns, is gradually losing population, as people move from small towns to more urban areas.

Many scenes from the 1955 movie, Picnic, were filmed in Sterling. Stars such as Bill Holden, Rosalind Russel, and Kim Novak spent several hot summer days in town filming scenes at Sterling Lake. We couldn’t wait until the movie was released to see if we could spot ourself or somebody we knew in the beach scenes. For the record: I didn’t see myself…..although I was there.

Sterling was my home from about 1952 until the latter part of 1962, Basically, I lived at home….except for an experiment in a couple short-term apartments in Hutchinson, where I was teaching at the time.

My only other permanent home in Kansas is where I live now: Valley Falls, KS. At least, that is my mailing address. Technically, I live in Ozawkie Township…..where I vote and where my fire and ambulance protection come from. I lived in the city of Valley Falls for a few years….a few years that I try  to forget about. Not because of the town…..but because of where I lived. That is an unrelated story, however.

What can I say about Valley Falls…..keeping in mind that I still live here….or near it, at least. Before I moved to Valley Falls, I was living and teaching in Kansas City, MO. When I made the decision to find a job in Kansas….where I had a regular teaching license….the first thing I did was to turn to the placement bureau of Sterling College, where I had obtained my undergraduate degree. I saw that Valley Falls needed a high school history and government teacher. I looked at a map and found that Valley Falls was actually almost on my way home from Kansas City to Sterling. I set up and appointment for a Saturday morning. After touring the school…..construction on the new addition of the “old gym”, the library, band room, lunch room, etc. was just getting underway…..I was offered the job on the spot. And, I accepted on the spot.

I continued on “home” to my mother’s house in Lyons. At the time, she was living next door to my aunt and uncle.   When I arrived, she was at their house….all of them sitting in the back yard. I announced that I had just accepted a new job. “Where?” they all asked.

“In Valley Falls,” I told them.

My aunt looked at me suspiciously and said, “There isn’t any such place as Valley Falls.” But she was wrong. There, indeed, is a place called Valley Falls.

To put it simply…..there is not much here. (Take a look at the pictures on the side.) And, there is becoming less and less as time goes by.  It has been sad to watch the decline of Valley Falls over the years……gradually…..little by little….as the years pass by.   When I first moved here in 1969, it was a semi-thriving community. There were three grocery stores.

Now there is one. There was a clothing store. Now there is none. There were three or four service stations. Now there is one. There was a small manufacturing company. Now it is gone. There was a car dealership. Ancient history. There was an appliance store….a jewelry store…..a drug store….a feed mill…..a shoe shop….a movie theater. They have all closed. There were two banks. At least three bars. Two or three eating places. Today the downtown area is basically empty.

In Valley Falls…..and I suppose most small towns…..life centers around the school. In fact, the school IS the town. Take away the school…..and you have nothing. Take away the football field, the gym and the baseball field…..and nothing else is left. These places are the center of social life. For all practical purposes, there is no cultural or intellectual life in Valley Falls…..and probably not in most small towns.

Both Topeka and Lawrence are a half hour away. Both of these cities have a variety of cultural and intellectual opportunities….concerts, live theater, lectures, art galleries, museums, exhibitions. For most people, however, these places may as well be a half a continent away. Don’t misunderstand now. I think parents should be involved in the lives of their children. And, I think they should support them. But….I think there is more, though. There should also be a cultural side of life. There should also be an artistic side of life. There should be a spiritual side of life. There should be a side of life that makes people aware of different people, different ways of living, different problems that other people face. And, there should be side that understands and reaches out to these difference. But, again, this approach to life is not unique to Valley Falls. It is no doubt the prevailing attitude in almost every small town.

Even though I have lived here for forty-five years, I am still an “outsider”. And, this is mostly a result of my own choice. My interests have never been centered around a steady and solitary diet of hometown basketball, baseball and football. I don’t know….maybe it is because I came from a town where people….including the young people…..had a more diversified and eclectic interests and leisure time pursuits. Maybe it was because I had already lived in three or four large cities and found the life here to be narrow and limited. Maybe it was because I had already experienced the thrill of travelling abroad and had my eyes opened to new and different worlds and cultures and peoples. There is little doubt in my mind that I would have the same problem if I had stayed in Sterling all my life. The only difference would have been that in Sterling I was an “insider”……whether I liked it or not. A local yokel….a “native”…..or whatever you want to call it…..merely because I was raised there…..went to school there…..went to college there…..had a job there…..had all my friends there….knew everybody there.

But….be that as it may. The fact is that I have lived here for more than forty-five years well over half my lifetime…..and here I am. I am still here….alive and kicking. And, actually, Valley Falls has been very good both to me and for me.

I worked in the public school system for 34 years. And, I like to think that I did a reasonably good job…..that I taught most of my students something important. Things that they would use   later on in their life. Things that would make their life more fruitful, more productive, more complete. I think….and hope….that most of my students left my classroom at the end of the year better prepared to advance to the next level of their education…..that I gave them something to build on.

Today, many of my friends are my former students. They are mature adults now, and we find that we enjoy spending time together….that we have many of the same interests….and same values. We accept each other as equals; most of them call me by my first name. And, that is the way I like it. We talk to each other, and interact with each other as mature, responsible adults. To me….this is great. It means that I had a part….maybe just a small part….in helping them mature from children into adults. And now they are productive, respected, contributing members of the community….and of the world. 

They are caring, responsible parents. What more could a former educator ask for? My job….and the jobs of other educators….has been carried out successfully…..and now we are truly seeing and enjoying the fruit of our labor.

Valley Falls offered other advantages, too…..one of which is its location. Even though it is a small town, it is located within easy driving distance of both Topeka and Lawrence. Both of these  cities offers a wide variety of cultural, educational, recreational and entertainment opportunities…..as much as you can get in a rural Mid-Western setting. What is lacking in a small town can usually be found in a nearby city…..if such a city is convenient. And, lucky for me…..I had two nearby cities. 

Kansas City, slightly further away, has the huge asset of an international airport. From here, I could easily fly to any part of the world. Having an international airport in such close proximity also made it possible for me to have a wide variety of visitors from around the world,,,,,something that has become an important part of my life.

And….I dare not forget to mention the fact that living in Valley Falls made it possible to take full advantage of everything that Lawrence and the University of Kansas has to offer. Which shall I say was the most important? The masters degree that I obtained from the University of Kansas? Or the season tickets to K.U. basketball games that I had for thirty years?

That would a difficult call to make. But….I will say that being able to attend every home game for thirty years was incredibly special. And, of course, this would not have been possible if I lived in….let’s say, my hometown of Sterling. So score another point for Valley Falls.

Who knows how it may have turned out…..but it is entirely likely that if I had been living somewhere else besides here in Valley Falls, I may never have had my eight foreign exchange students. It was a couple of Valley Falls residents who suggested the idea to me. They had hosted foreign exchange students for a number of years…..and they were convinced that it would be something I would enjoy. It took some convincing…..but I agreed to try it. And, guess what? It turned out to be one of the most rewarding, enjoyable and interesting things I have ever done.

Not only did I have the opportunity to host some great students for a year….but we have stayed in touch with each other throughout the many years since they have gone back to their native countries and started families of their own. Knowing them opened up an entirely new era in my life…..the excitement and pleasure of foreign travel. Maybe this would have happened if I had lived somewhere else…..but I tend to doubt it. It only happened because I was in the right place at the right time.

Another thing that I will always remember about Valley Falls was the opportunity to work with young people in the area of track and field….in cross country….and in long distance running. It was because of this that I also made many life-long friends. Even though my attempt to introduce running as a lifetime leisure activity more or less failed….and failed miserably……running is still an active part of some of these runner’s lives. Some of them have passed on their love of running to their children…..and the tradition continues.

I could also talk about becoming a home owner during the time I have lived here…..and the joy of paying real estate taxes.   I could talk about the opportunity to be elected to a public office. Who knows? Perhaps all of these things could have….and would have….happened somewhere else, too. But….they didn’t. They all took place while I have been living here. So….I am not complaining. Life has been good. And, even as an “outsider”, I still feel that this is where I “live”. And, when someone asks where I live, I always answer, “Valley Falls.” Although when they ask, “Where is your home?”   I almost always  say, “Sterling.”

The only other place where I have lived with any sense of permanency was Saigon….in South Vietnam. If there is one place where I look back and wish that I had stayed there….it is Saigon.

I lived in Saigon for one year while I was in the Army……and three years while I was working for the International Voluntary Services…..a total of four years.

Saigon has a certain charm that may escape people with no sense of adventure, of imagination, of appreciation for the left-over life of a French colonial city. Underneath the outward hustle and bustle of the traffic clogged avenues and the equally crowded sidewalks, teeming with stalls, kiosks and shops selling everything imaginable to the curious and unsuspecting….and gullible….shopper, Saigon is very much a laid-back city. A city that takes its time. A city that is really in no hurry. Things will get done….eventually….maybe.

Saigon was a city of the incredibly poor….people who lived in makeshift shacks…..and of more affluent people who lived in the old walled French villas, left over from colonial days. Of people who spent their leisure time play tennis at the exclusive sports club….and of people desperately trying to live….even if they had to resort to committing a crime to do it.

My  home wasn’t luxurious….and neither was it an impromptu shack pieced together with scrap material. We lived on the outskirts of the city, no far from Tan Son Nhut Airbase….and not far from the horse racing track. We lived in two villas which, I suppose, were also at one time owned by a wealthy Frenchman. The two buildings were connected by a covered walkway. One of the buildings served as the dining hall and kitchen….as well as the dormitory for the female employees. The second building was used as the main office and as thecommunal sleeping quarters for the male volunteers.

Only the members of the administration had private rooms. I lived in one of these rooms, on the second floor of the building. Outside the door to my second floor living quarters was a large rooftop patio, which overlooked the busy, smoked-filled street in front of the house. It was really a pleasant place to sit, especially in the cool early morning before the sun was high enough to create furnace-like temperatures. And, it was a pleasant place to sit at night, after the sun had gone down…..when the searing temperatures had cooled down to a low simmer. However, I really don’t remember anybody sitting out there. Neither did I….at least very often.

My office was downtown. I had a driver who would dutifully and cheerfully drive me to work each morning. Take me back home for lunch. Take me back to the office in mid-afternoon, and bring me back home after I had finished work.

Obviously, my work was not part of the charm of Saigon. The charm lay in the lifestyle, in the Vietnamese culture. It lay in all those long leisure nights sitting in a Saigon bar; in the Saturday and Sunday mornings sipping coffee on the veranda of the Continental Hotel; in the visits to the market places where we wandered aimlessly, looking at the unbelievable variety of colorful and exotic merchandise for sale….but never buying any of it. It lay in the friendly visits to Vietnamese friends’ house, drinking the little cups of tea and eating tiny pastries….always being treated like somebody special. It lay in our visits to little Vietnamese restaurants….away from the downtown area….where we savored bowls of Pho…..the traditional Vietnamese soup made of noodles and chicken or beef. It lay in the excitement of navigating the confused Saigon traffic in my Jeep….playing the constant game of “chicken” and testing the quality of my nervous system.

Aside from the ever-present tensions of a war that was taking place; aside from the constant threat of a random terrorist attack; aside from the perpetual need to be vigilant no matter where I was or what I was doing……living in Saigon was a unique, life-changing experience. It was an experience that will remain in my heart and mind forever…..one that I would gladly do again.

So….that’s it. Those are the four places that I have called home…..and places where I have felt “at home”. There are other places….temporary places: Indianapolis, San Francisco, Hutchinson, Kansas City…..even good old Ft. Leonard Wood! But they were not….and never could be…..”home”. They were merely places to live until I went home.

 

Help! I am snowed in today…..and probably tomorrow. I am stuck here. Stranded. Trapped. Being held hostage here in my house…..by a relentless snow storm which has given us a gift of more than a foot of snow. Outside it is a Winter Wonderland created by Mother Nature….or a mean Mother-in-Law Nature, gleefully chuckling over her wicked work.

If you live out in the country like I do, most of what I have to say is going to sound familiar. You have experienced it….lived through it…..and hopefully, survived. However, if you live in a city or a town, maybe you will think I am complaining (which I suppose I am) or exaggerating. Or maybe you will think I am some sort of wimp or sissy who can’t cope with life. If you think this….man, you are wrong.

We people who live in rural areas…on hilly, gravel roads….miles from a paved road…..well….we’re tough….and we are adaptable. Because we have to be. We can’t put on our snow boots and walk a couple blocks to the grocery store….or the post office….or the gym to mess around for the afternoon. In town, most people have cable TV. It is largely not affected by the tribulations of weather…..such as snow and rain and clouds. Those things do not prevent the signal from flowing through the cable directly to the TV.  No….you do not have to climb up a ladder with a broom to sweep the snow off the satellite dish.

If we are lucky, the electricity does not go out and the water pipes do not freeze. But…something like this is going to happen, you can bet that it will happen first to us hardy people who live in the country. That is why many of us have wood stoves….and portable electric generators. We would make good Boy Scouts. You know: Be Prepared!

If I had a horse, I could ride it into town. Although let’s face it: I am probably too kind to make the poor horse get out into the cold weather. A snow mobile would come in handy at times like these. But, alas….I do not have a snow mobile. Even a small Caterpillar, my own snow plow….or any tracked vehicle would probably get me into town….and I could make a little money on the side. With 10 or 12 inches of snow on the ground…..and I am not counting the 3 and 4 feet drifts….I doubt if even a good red-neck four-wheeler would do much good. Although I would probably get an argument on this point from some of my slightly red-neck friends.

OK. We have established the fact. I am trapped inside…..and I am not going any where until the snow plow comes past…..and my neighbor boy comes and cleans out my driveway.

The question becomes: What am I going to do for 48 hours….alone in my solitude….with nobody around to talk to? It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. It has. Many times. But, that doesn’t change the question: What am I going to do to pass the time of day?

Back when I was still working at the school, I welcomed these days: Blessed Snow Days! I, along with most other teachers, would keep our eyes glued to the TV, watching for the name of our school to scroll across the bottom of the screen. Looking back, I am not really sure why we did this. The employees were always the first to be informed by a sort of calling network. When the telephone rang, we answered it eagerly, hoping it would be our contact person tell us that school has been canceled for the day. And, then we would still sit in front of the TV, watching for the notification, just to confirm the good news.

On those days, it was a welcome day of rest…..and unexpected day of relaxation. And…let’s face it. Many of those days, we weren’t really snowed in all day long. It was merely too risky and dangerous to have the school buses out on the snow covered roads early in the morning before the snow plows had cleared the roads. Usually the snow had stopped during the night….the snow plows would soon come past….and by the early afternoon, everything was pretty much back to normal, with all the kids driving around town.

But snow storms like the one we had today are different. It snowed all day….and it is still snowing tonight. The snow just keeps getting deeper and deeper. The trap keeps getting tighter and tighter.

So….what do I do on days like this? How do I….and how can I…..pass the time. And we are talking about at least 48 hours. Forty eight hours of aloneness and solitude. Forty eight hours of being trapped here in my house.

Well…..as long as I have the Big Three: TV, Internet and books, I can probably somehow manage. I can’t speed up time….but I can disguise it and make it seem to go faster.

Thanks Heavens for the Internet. What did we ever do without it? I know that I spent more than three-fourth of my life without it. Although looking back, I am exactly sure how I did it. What did I do without e-mail? Without Facebook? Without Skype? I know I once lived without them, but they are surely good things to have when you are “home alone”. At the very least, they can provide some virtual companionship….the illusion that you are not entirely by yourself. It provides a window to the outside world that I would not ordinarily have. So….score a point for the Internet.

I am going to rank television in the Number 2 place. Back in the days before the Internet, it was definitely Number One….with no close rival…..even in the days when there were only four or five local channels to choose from. We didn’t know any better. That was all there were…..and we happily accepted the fact. What you don’t know doesn’t hurt you….or something like that. Television is not very interactive….but it is a good source of entertainment….something to pass time (more or less like it does even when it it not snowing). It fills the vacuum of silence….if one is bothered by that. There are voices in the background….people on the screen. And, don’t rule out the fact that there are probably many programs that a person really wants to watch….but with a busy schedule, don’t have the time. Well, now you have all the time in the world to satisfy your viewing pleasure. And, while I am on the subject……TV is an excellent source of news, weather….and all sorts of valuable information that one might need in times like this.

For me, at least……a good book ranks third on my list of favorite ways to pass time when I am trapped at home by myself. I am not kidding myself. I know that for most people, reading a book ranks quite far down the list….after wandering bare foot outside in the snow for 2 or 3 hours. Even I was tempted to rank it 4^th……after taking a nap. But, I didn’t. Becoming engrossed in a good book is an excellent way to pass time, no matter if you are snowed in or not. For me, time begins to fly when I start reading a good book. It is easy to lose track of time…..and suddenly realize that two or three or four hours have passed. I have gotten so interested in reading a book that I have let the fire in the wood stove die out. And, the stove is only eight feet in front of me. I have started reading a good at night….and suddenly realized that it is middle of the night….and I need to go to bed. So…..don’t rule out settling down with a good book.

And….yes…..I will have to admit that taking a nap ranks somewhere around number four on my list of things to do when I am snowed in. So….let’s change Big 3 to Big 4. All I have to do is turn on one of my favorite music CD’s, sit down in the recliner…..and I am out like a light, as they say. I am puzzled by all these people who say, “Oh, I don’t take naps because if I do I can’t sleep at night.” I have never had that problem. I can sleep almost any time, any place. What does that tell you? Maybe I am lazy. Or maybe I am over-worked and need the rest. (Be quiet….I can hear you chuckling!). Or maybe I have sleeping sickness….the non-medical type. Or maybe I just like to take naps. But, I can assure you of one thing: When you wake up……some time has passed by….. Time that you otherwise do not have to fill.

Those are the Big Four. But there are other ways and other things that have to be done, too. I would like to sit in my recliner and rest or read or watch TV or sleep all day….but it usually doesn’t turn out that way.

I find for some reason, I am prone to eat more when I am involuntarily confined to my house. Sometimes I may even cook. Not very often….but it does happen. Normally, I don’t advertise the fact, because I have most people convinced that I know nothing about cooking. What the heck…..I have even convinced myself. But, there are times….when I have guests…..or when I am supremely bored….or when I get the irrational urge…..that I actually do some cooking. Simple cooking…..but yet it is cooking. It isn’t the cooking that I object to. Sometimes that can be fun. The problem is: Doing the dishes! I simply do not like to do dishes. I never have…..and I think it is safe to say….I never will. Most people just pop the dirty dishes into the dish washer…..and forget about it. But, my dish washer(s) comes in the form of two hands! I still cannot understand the logic of spending an hour preparing food…..for one person…..eating the food in 5 minutes…..and spending 20 minutes doing dishes. And, if there is one thing I do not like….in my own house…..it is dirty dishes stacked up waiting to be washed and put away. There is never a dirty dish in my house. As soon as I use it…..it wash it and put it away. One may find a lot of things wrong with my house…..but dirty dishes it not one of them.

Snow days are good days for getting in touch with other family members…..and my former exchange students and guests. In the “old days”, I did this by using the telephone. Now, I prefer to use Skype. It is more personal, less expensive…..”free” is pretty cheap…..and vastly more pleasant and rewarding when I can see the person I am talking to. It is the next best thing to having the person sitting in a chair next to you.

In former days…..back when I was younger……I had to spend part of the day shoveling the snow out of my driveway and off the front porch. At one time, I had a snow plow, which made the task easier and quicker. But….it turned out to be a piece of junk…..and after a couple or three seasons, it broke down and never worked again. I had it repaired once by a local mechanic. It cost almost as much to repair it as it cost when I bought it. So much for being ripped off. Nowadays, I have to hire somebody to do this work….largely because of my heart. It gives some my neighbor boy or some high school kid a job…..it stimulates the economy…..and it definitely cuts down on the wear and tear on my old worn out body.

OK….. You are probably saying, “What is the problem? You have lots of things you can do while you are snowed in.”

Yes…..that may be true. In fact, it probably is true. But, all these things still do not make up for human contact. Sitting in my recliner relaxing is just not the same as being able to talk to somebody face to face. Talking to somebody on Skype is not as satisfying as sitting and talking in a quiet bar.

But, on the other hand, I am glad that I have some interesting things to do to pass the time when I am home alone……being held hostage by a snow storm.

 

 

 

 

I am going to write a little bit about the University of Kansas…..and more specifically, about the K. U. basketball team. Usually, I more or less shy away from writing about a subject like this because everything I have to say is pretty subjective…..and I know it has a tendency to annoy some people….my friends….or to rub them in the wrong direction.

But, then I stop to think. When they talk about their own favorite team….yes, sometimes it annoys me; sometimes it rubs me in he wrong direction….but I know they are in the same position that I am in: they have a favorite team; they are proud of it; they are loyal to it; and they show their pride and loyalty by saying good things about it….and bad things about other teams, such as K. U.

 

 All of this back and forth banter and trash talk is done in “fun”…..and I haven’t lost any good friends over this issue….at least, not very many. There was one rather close call, and I will tell you about it later….if I think of it. Mostly, it is done in fun. I enjoy it….and they enjoy it. It’s just one of those things that friends do.

People pick their “favorite” team(s) in different ways and for different reason. A lot of my friends choose their favorite team because that was the college they graduated from…..or that their children or their parents graduated from. That makes sense. Some people simply jump on the band wagon…..and become “fans” of whatever team happens to be doing well at the time. They always want to be on the winning side, with no really long-lasting loyalties. They change team loyalty like they change their clothes. You have heard the expression: “He must have a clean mind, because he changes it so often.” And, some people cheer for teams for…..well, who knows what reason?: perhaps they like one of their player; or they like the color of their uniforms; or their friend likes that team. And…..some people…..well, they couldn’t care less.

As for me….yes, I do have strong loyalties. And, I do have some good reasons. It is no secret to anybody who knows me that I am a loyal and devoted fan of the University of Kansas. And, I always have been. I can remember lying on my bed in my room back when I was in junior high school listening to the play-by-play of K. U. games on my ancient radio….the kind with electric tubes that had to heat up before you could listen to it.

Now….if you would ask me why I chose K. U. back in those days….and, let’s face it….that was a long time ago….I am not really sure that I could give you a reason. Although one reason might have been…..they were famous. They were being coached by Phog Allen and Dick Harp…..two of the most prominent names in basketball coaching at that time. And, they were good! They won the NCAA title in 1952. Also….they were accessible. Their games were being broadcast on a radio station that we could get out in Sterling, Kansas.

And, the fact is: I have not changed my loyalty in all these many years. But, there is another reason, too. Maybe just as important. After I returned from South Vietnam and started teaching in Valley Falls in 1969, I decided to go back to college to work on a Masters Degree in school counseling. Of course, I chose K. U. I was lucky. My favorite university was within easy driving distance. I took classes every summer and every night after I finished teaching…..for three years! That’s a lot of time. A lot of effort. And a lot of money!

Yeah…..I go back a long ways with the University of Kansas. My loyalty runs deep. I am proud to be a Jayhawk.

I had season tickets for K. U. football games for four years…..up until we started building my house…..and my help was needed on the weekends. But, for those four years, I never missed a game….come heat or sleet, rain or snow. And, we had all four of them. I first started going to K. U. football games with Gene Hanson, who was our P.E. teacher at the time. We finished construction on the house later that year…..but I never did get back into the habit of going to all the football games. I was a home owner….and there were too many other things to do on weekends.

But….K. U. basketball. That is a different story. I went to my first basketball game in winter of 1970. I went with Bill Barnes, who was our high school basketball coach. We parked the car, walked into Allen Field House, walked up to the ticket window…..and bought two tickets! Just like that. The field house was only about half full….and maybe not even that much. We, for all practical purposes, could simply chose own seats. I don’t remember who K. U. played…..but I am pretty sure they won.

What I remember most about that first game was: Wow….here I am in the famous Allen Field House….watching players whose names I had heard only on the radio…..sitting in the same place where Phog Allen had coached and Wilt Chamberlain had played….seeing Max Falkenstein sitting behind a table calling the play-by-play….seeing the old “Beware the Phog” sign for the first time. Allen Field House was the largest building I had been in up to that time…..more than 16,300 seats. Even if the building was only about half occupied. I can remember going to the National Junior College Basketball Tournament in Hutchinson when I was in high school and college. It was held in the Hutchinson Sports Arena, in Hutchinson, KS. It seats 7,600 people. Man….I thought is was huge! We used to go to the top row and look down. We were sitting on top of the world! But it is small compared to Allen Field house…..and when I go to the Sports Arena today…..it still seems small in comparison.

Another of my earliest memories of K. U. basketball was in 1971 when I went with a friend of mine to the one and only Final Four that I have attended. We hopped into my 1970 orange VW Carmen Ghia on a Friday morning and drove to the Houston Astrodome where K U. was playing the following day. It is an all-day trip to Houston…..probably nine or ten hours. We arrived in the late afternoon….not having any idea where The Astrodome was located. By some turn of luck we found it pretty easily, probably by following the Interstate until we finally saw it. We parked the car in the parking lot and went inside to buy our tickets. We stepped up to ticket window, which was still open, and asked for two tickets. No questions asked…..the woman handed me two tickets: Aisle 221, Mezzanine Box D, Seats 2 & 3. Each ticket cost $8.00! (I know because I still have the ticket stub.) Can you believe it? Stepping up to the ticket window at a Final Four game the day before a game and buying a ticket for $8.00? Just for a laugh, try that today. Get into your car, drive 761 miles, walk up to the ticket window, ask for two tickets…..and see what happens! They are either going to laugh at you….or call for somebody to bring a strait jacket and take you away. Things have changed a lot. Back then….in 1971…..college basketball was a game. Now it is big business.

The first few years I attended K. U. basketball games, I bought individual tickets. I would choose the games that I wanted to attend and call the ticket office and order the tickets. There was never any problem. And, again, even after we got there, the place was seldom full…..and again, we could pretty much sit wherever we wanted. It was probably about the third year that I had been going to K U. games, that the woman in the ticket office finally asked me, “Why don’t you go ahead and buy season tickets?” By that time, she already knew me because she had talked to me so many times on the telephone. Actually, I had really never thought about buying season tickets. But, it seemed like a good idea….a practical idea, at least. So….I bought two season tickets. This must have been in 1972 or 1973. And……I kept them for the next thirty years…..until I retired in 2003.

The first ticket I bought to a K. U. basketball game cost $5.00. The ticket was for a specific seat…..specific row and seat. But, almost literally, I had the pick of the house in where I wanted to sit. Allen Field House was usually about only half full back in those early days. Except, of course, for games like K. State or Missouri, for example. I don’t remember how much it cost to park, but it probably wasn’t much more than a dollar or two. And, more than likely, it was free. Ticket prices stayed relatively inexpensive, and attendance stayed rather sparse until around 1984 or so. That was when Danny Manning enrolled at K. U. The story changed from that point on. Things were never the same again. A new era in Kansas University basketball had begun.

Starting somewhere in that era, attendance suddenly picked up. And certainly from 1988 forward, Allen Field House has been sold out for every game. That is quite a record. It is now 2014….so that is already more than 25 years. And, along with the increased attendance came an increase in ticket prices. A steady increase. The last year that I bought season tickets, in 2003, the price of a single ticket was $40.00. There are approximately 20 home games a year. A season ticket cost $800.00…..and I had two of them. Let me say a bit about season tickets. Many people are under the impression that if a person buys a season ticket, he gets a discount or lower price. Not true! The only advantage or value in having a season ticket is that a person is assured of a seat…..an assigned seat.

Back in the “old days”, you could almost be assured that when you entered Allen Field House, you were going to receive some sort of souvenir…..a sign to wave, a foam rubber finger, a picture, a magnet….something. Those days area also over. Believe me….nothing is free at K. U. any longer.

It is said….and by a lot of people who have been around….that Allen Field House undoubtedly is one of the best….if not THE best….venues to play basketball in the entire nation. It is loud….and it is raucous. And, it is loud and raucous because of the K. U. fans who fill its 16,300 seats game after game. K. U. fans are basketball-savy fans. They know the game. And, they are demanding fans. They expect their team to win. Winning is a tradition at K. U. Unlike fans of some other universities, K. U. fans do not show up to cheer “against” their opponent. They show up to cheer FOR their Jayhawks.

“Pay Heed, All Who Enter: Beware of “The Phog!” When a person attends a game at Allen Field House, they are attending truly big-time basketball. The atmosphere is electric and alive and dynamic. And, it is steeped with a long history of tradition. Of course, this, for all practical purposes, is where college basketball started. James Naismith, the man who invented the game, was the first coach at K. U. And, there was the long-time coach, the dean of basketball coaches, Phog Allen…..after whom the field house is named.

Allen Field House was dedicated in 1955…..and it has stood the test of time. The field house has been renovated, modernized and updated…..but is has never been basically changed. It is still the Allen Field House that is was in 1955….and probably will always remain that way. Other universities tear down their old field house and replace them with new, sleek, sterile buildings. But Allen Field House retains its history and its tradition…..the tradition that has developed over the years and has made the Kansas University basketball team the 2^nd most winning team in the history of the NCAA.

Kansas University is not a college that constantly changes its basketball coach….unlike the K. U. football team. Since I have been old enough to be aware of….and follow….K.U. basketball, and that is back in the early 50’s….there have been only six head coaches: Phog Allen, Dick Harp, Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and Bill Self. And, before that….James Naismith, who, ironically, had the only overall losing record of any K. U. basketball coach. Not a bad lineup.

K. U. assistant coaches have gone on to stellar, important, high profile coaching and management position throughout the nation and the world….Bob Hill, John Calipari, and R.C. Buford, just to mention a few of them. And…..former K.U. Players? Wow….the complete list is too extensive to include here. But….how about these, just for examples? Tad Boyle, University of Colorado; Kevin Prichard, Indiana Pacers; Mark Turgeon, most lately at the University of Maryland; Danny Manning, University of Tulsa.

This has been a brief explanation of why I, along with thousands of others, are devoted Jayhawk fans. We know that we are a part of a team and a tradition that we can be genuinely proud of. Of course, I am very much aware that other people are also devoted to their teams….and are also proud of them. That is great. That is the way it should be. Many of my friends support other college programs…..mostly our main in-state rival. My adult professional friends support this “other” team mostly because they attended that university…..no matter how misguided that choice was!

The rivalry that takes place…..all the trash talk….is fun. Sometimes, fierce….but fun. We K. U. fans readily concede they have a better football team. But, we hold a vast superiority in the game of basketball. Jokes fly back and forth….along with friendly insults. Of course, we K. U. fans have a distinct advantage in the area of poking fun and making jokes. What did you major in? Cow milking? What did you get your Masters in? Hay baling? Where did you sleep when you were a student there? In a barn? What did they feed you for lunch? Hay? How do you get to class? On horseback? What is your major sport? Cow chip throwing? Or maybe pig racing? You get the idea…..and have probably even figured out which university I am talking about.

The most insulting thing they can say to us is that we are “snobs”……that we graduated from Snob U. If that is all they have to offer….I can deal with it. After all, we feel we have the right to be just a little bit “snobbish”…..considering that we graduated from K. U.

Like I say…..all this trash talk is fun…..and it goes on all the time. But, over all the years, I don’t think I ever lost a friend because of it. And, I doubt if we will ever stop doing it.

Well….I say that I have never lost a friend. That it is all done in good fun. But, there was one time….the only time…..that somebody took it seriously. One morning when I was still a classroom teacher, I was sitting at my desk when another teacher came into my room.

He/she said, “K. U. is playing Emporia State tonight.”

“Yeah,” I replied, “and they are going to get slaughtered.” Which, to anybody who knows anything about basketball, was merely a truthful observation. I didn’t think any more about it. Why should I?

But, at lunch time, this teacher came into my room…..crying and very upset.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“You’re a mean, hateful person,” she/he said.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, rather shocked…..and also somewhat mystified.

“You said some mean, hateful things about my college,” she/he said.

Wow…..I was speechless. I didn’t know how to respond. This had never happened to me before. I mumbled something about it being a joke…..this happens all the time….it’s all done as fun….while thinking to myself, “What a narrow minded person. They can’t even take a joke.”

Thank Heavens, this was an exception….the only exception that I can think of….to the rule.

What else can I say? It’s great to be part of the Jayhawk Nation. It is great to be a part of such a rich and time-honored tradition…..and to be associated with not only a great basketball program…..but also an equally great university.

In parting….Let me say, “Pay Heed, All Who Enter: Beware of “The Phog!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you a slave to traditional conventions? Do you do things the way everybody else does them? Would you like to try something different…..just a little bit out of the ordinary?

If all of the above are true…..try having a picnic in the winter. Who made the rule that picnics must take place in the summertime? It was probably some sissy who is afraid to try something a little bit out of the ordinary.

So…..rebel. Show your independence. Start the fire….a big one. Buy some hot dogs or hamburger or chicken or steak…..or anything else you like….and get ready to enjoy one of the great adventures of your life. Well….it probably doesn’t compare to getting married, having children, graduating from college or winning Power Ball. But, it is fun.

When Fayez Alruwaili…..my friend and recurring, semi-permanent guest from Saudi Arabia….was at my house during the Thanksgiving break, we bought a new fire ring, which we placed on the covered patio. In our sense of adventure, we couldn’t wait to try it out….and see if it really worked. I mean…..what is there to work? All you have to do is put some wood in it….light it….and let is burn. Anyway, we tried it….and it worked. But….we tried it at night….in the middle of the winter.

We bundled up in our warmest clothing….coat, stocking cap, scarf, gloves…..and set about having our night time cook out. Our first endeavor was rather unimaginative. We roasted hot dogs. But, a person has to start somewhere. We also bought some potato salad, some chips….the scoop kind….and some dip. That sounds like a picnic to me.

What you eat is up to you. Almost anything you can fix in the summer can also be fixed in the winter. We chose to start “simple”. But, we eventually worked our way up to more creative menus.

We sat in front of the fire, trying to keep warm, while holding the two prong hot dog “stick”, with a hot dog on each prong, over the fire. Fayez had never roasted hot dogs before. But, he caught on quickly. I mean…..it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to roast hot dogs.

The fire was burning brightly….flames leaping into the air….as we sat warming our hands….trying to keep warm (and for the most part succeeding)….and eating our hot dogs. It was a calm night, and the lack of wind helped in keeping us warm.

I am sure that our neighbors….and also passers by…..wondered what was going on. Two crazy people sitting on the patio in front of a roaring fire. We we were probably lucky they didn’t call the fire department to come put the fire out. Or a mental institution to come and take us away.

The food tasted good, though. And, the fire was cheery as we sat, ate, talked, and listened to the sounds of the night….the coyotes howl, the neighbors’ dogs bark (mostly at us), and the rustle of the trees as they swayed in the gentle breeze.

This was only a practice run….a warm up drill…..for our trip to the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks during the Christmas holiday. We could have stayed in a motel. That would have cost at least twice as much as staying in a campground, though. And, the experience would not have been a fraction as exciting as staying in a campground.

 As we expected, we were the only campers in both of the campgrounds where we stayed. Several people in large RV’s were already well established at the KOA campground in Springfield, MO. We assumed that there were people living in them. We never actually saw anybody….but lights were on inside the RV’s. Aside from the RV’s, we pretty much had the campground to ourselves. We didn’t have to worry about disturbing other people….and we didn’t have to worry about other people disturbing us. A brave motorcyclist pitched a tent a couple hundred feet from us. But, we never saw him again after he went into his tent.

We bought three bundles of wood at the campground store. At first we bought only two bundles….but added another bundle as an after thought. And, it is a good thing we did. By the time we went into our cabin around midnight…..we had burned all the wood.

We could have stayed in a motel…..but it would have cost more twice as much. We could have gone to a restaurant to eat…..but that would have cost more than three or four times what we paid for our delicious fire-grilled Saudi Arabian meal. In a restaurant, all you do is order your food, eat it….and there is only a limited amount of it…..pay for it, and leave. Here in our campground, we had the joy of preparing our meal. Well, Fayez prepared it….but I had the joy of watching him. And, we had the joy of watching the food cook slowly over an open campfire. And…..most of all…..we had the joy of eating the delicious, tender, tasty food when it had cooked to perfection.

And, one of the greatest joys for me was the dishes…..or NOT having to wash a bunch of dishes. What did we have to wash? Really nothing. We used large plastic forks and knives; we used double strength paper plates; we drank pop from the can; we used used the “scoop chips” for the guacamole. When we were finished eating, we stuffed all of the trash into a bag…..and the dishes were done! Now we could kick back, relax, and enjoy the camp fire….and the cold, crisp night……and secretly laugh at all those people sitting in their RV’s who had not had nearly as much fun as we experienced.

 NO…..I am pretty sure we wouldn’t choose to do this every night. But, on a calm, not-so-frigid night, it is a fun, relaxing thing to do. Something just a little out of the ordinary….something to make other people wonder what is going on…..and something that breaks up the every day routine…..and a way to do some different every once in a while.

Don’t kid yourself. You need to have a big, warm fire. You need to be dressed warmly. And, you need a fairly calm, windless night. After some experimentation, we found that it is preferable to start the fire with charcoal….especially if you are going to prepare food. The charcoal starts more quickly; it gets hotter faster….and stay hotter longer. And, when you are ready to add wood to the fire…the wood starts burning quickly with a minimum of effort.

So….you think we are crazy? That’s OK. But, you will never know until you give it a try. And…..who knows? Maybe you will find out that you are actually adventurous enough….and tough enough….to enjoy it. Like Fayez and me.

 

 

Christmas 2013 has come and gone.  Another glorious season of Peace and Good Will…..celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  To me, Christmas is a special time of the year when “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  We give because we were given the most important gift that we could possibly receive….the birth of our Savior and of eternal life.  Nothing we give can begin to match this priceless gift.  We give….but all of our gifts are merely symbolic.

This Christmas season was special for me.  I definitely received more than I gave.  I received only two “gifts” this Christmas…..two dozen cookies from my neighbor…..and a coffee mug from Fayez Alruwaili, my special friend from Saudi Arabia.  Each of these gifts were especially meaningful to me, because both of them were given out of a sense of love…..and not out of a sense of obligation or to meet any expectations.  The cookies?  They are long sense devoured.  Only the plastic tray remain.  The coffee mug?  It is sitting on a shelf….where it will remain forever.

 My Christmas season was brightened this year by Fayez, who came to spend the Christmas holiday.  I first met Fayez as a guest who found my name of one of the international hospitality sites that I belong to.  He came and spent last Christmas vacation….the season of 2012…..and ever since, I like to think that my home has been his “home away from home” ever since.

Fayez is from Saudi Arabia…..and of course, he is Muslim  But, this in no way prevented us from enjoying and embracing all the traditions and customs that go with the Christmas Season.  Our first real Christmas experience was attending the program presented by our local elementary school.  Back in the days when I was a classroom teacher, I came to know this Christmas tradition all too well.  And…..I have to admit:  It was not one of my favorite activities.  In fact, it was a pain in the ass….something to be endured….a feeling of relief when it was over.  This could have been the first grade school Christmas program I had attended since I stopped teaching 6th grade back around 1990.  Somehow I just couldn’t summon the proper feeling of nostalgia for the program.  The memories still hadn’t evolved from “something I had to do….to something that I wanted to do”.  But….this year we went.  The program is free, of course……and we certainly got our money’s worth!  The program stretched into a marathon performance, as class after class was herded to the stage so sing their obligatory two songs.  I am not sure exactly what went wrong.  Christmas programs never lasted this long when I was teaching.  But….nevertheless, as I said…..We got our money’s worth.  And, it is a common cultural ritual that schools across the nation go through each year.  And….Fayez got to experience it.

The next actual tradition that Fayez got to witness was the Christmas Eve Service at my church.  It is a beautiful service of lessons and carols, which are performed not only by the congregation, but also by the sanctuary choir and talented soloists.  The service always ends with lighting of candles while the choir and congregation sings Silent Night…..followed by a rousing, joyous rendition of Joy to the World on the church organ.  As we walked out of church, the clock turned to midnight…..Christmas Day.  Before returning home, however, we just couldn’t resist taking a drive down Wanamaker Road….probably the busiest street in Topeka. It is always a treat to see the almost surreal scene that takes place there on each Christmas Eve…….the busiest street in Topeka almost devoid of any traffic.

Christmas morning, after Fayez finally roused himself from his bed and took his four and a half mile Christmas run, we exchanged Christmas gifts….and then prepared to go to Topeka to eat lunch with our friend Sam.  It is becoming sort of a tradition to eat both Thanksgiving and Christmas lunch with Sam at his apartment.  Perhaps the best things about Sam’s meals is that they are not the traditional meals…..the kind you would find in most other households.  They are unique and prepared with great care and attention.  And…..also important…..they are super delicious….and plentiful.  We always leave Sam’s house full and satisfied.

Our next stop was my brothers’ house.  Usually there is a crowd of people there…..their good friends…..buy only passing acquaintances to me.  This year, however; it was just a little more special. Several of my cousins…..second, third and fourth cousins…were there.  Some of them, I had never met before.  It turned out to be a pleasant experience.  After a brief walk at Lake Shawnee, we returned home…..another Christmas Day in the books……history, as they say.

There were other customs, as well.  We put up the two little Christmas trees….our only decorations.  We listened to Christmas carol that I had recorded onto CD’s.  Christmas music is among my very favorite music.  I could listen to it all  year round. Here I am talking about good Christmas music:  Christmas carols and Christmas standards…performed by artists, choirs and orchestras who are worthy of singing them.  I am not talking about the cheap holiday songs that are constantly butchered by untalented artists, seeking only to make a fast buck for capitalizing on the holy season.

For the first time this year, we toured the Winter Wonderland display of lights…..a short but beautiful drive through an elaborate display of lights at Lake Shawnee….and sponsored by TARC for the benefit of its clients.

Aside from the Christmas activities, we had other fun, too. Let’s consider our New Year’s celebration, for example. The New Year, 2014, sort of came in quietly with a soft whimper….but not as much of a whimper as last year.

 Last year…..the New Year of 2013….we were at home. Last year, I had two guests for the long Christmas break. Besides Fayez, there was also a Chinese student staying here for the holiday season. It was snowing outside…..a bona fide snow storm, as a matter of fact. At the last minute, we decided to drive into town and buy a couple bottles of champagne. We slowly made our way through the blowing snow into town…..and to the town’s only liquor store. Luckily enough, there were exactly two bottles of champagne left! And, they were ours! Unluckily, the owner of the liquor store was a former student and runner of mine…..and we had not seen each other for several years. He seemed glad to see me again…..and I spent the next 30 minutes talking to him….while Fayez and my Chinese guest sat in the car…..freezing, I suppose….and wondering where I was.

 Back home, at Midnight, we each poured a glass of champagne and raised our glasses in a toast to the New Year. Almost immediately, our Chinese guest’s face began to turn bright red….and his eyes began to swell shut! I was alarmed…to say the least. What was going on? Would I have to call 9-1-1 and tell them to come pick up a minor….under the age of 21….and take him to the hospital? The Chinese guest….who would turn 21 his next birthday…..told us that he was allergic to alcohol…..and this was what happened when he took a drink. I immediately told him to put down his glass…..and go to bed. I had never seen anybody react to alcohol in this way before….nor have I since.

This year, however, Fayez and I went to my favorite bar in Topeka around 8:00….ate supper….and sat and drank (beer for me….Pepsi for Fayez) until the New Year arrived. We had planned in advance and had each made a list of questions and topics which we could talk about….just in case the conversation started to stall out.

The evening could have been ruined, though. When we first entered the bar, we took a table near the back. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that we had sat down near three rather ill-dressed, ignorant…..and rather loud middle age bums….two men and one woman. I suspect they were residents in some sort of home for the mentally challenged…..although we didn’t ask them.

The first bad sign came when one of the men snapped his fingers at the waitress…..and said something like, “Hey!” The waitress, whom I admired, immediately told the man that he was rude….and that was not the way to get her attention……and that if he wanted her to help him, he could ask in a civilized manner. That more or less set the tone for the rest of the evening. They apparently had $40.00 to spend…..and they spent the rest of the evening quarreling among themselves….sometimes loudly….and drinking beer.

We asked the waitress if we could move to another table. She lost no time agreeing….and even helped us carry our plates and glasses to booth sufficiently removed from the quarrelsome trio. Looking back, I doubt if they even realized how uncouth, unpleasant and disturbing their behavior was. And…..I can also imagine that  perhaps they do not go out in public very often.

Fayez and I sat in our new booth…..and spent the next four hours discussing the questions we had bought with us…..often questions of a controversial nature…..because both of love to argue….or have friendly discussion, as we prefer to call itl. The time passed quickly. Shortly before Midnight, the waitress gave each customer a glass of champagne. Except for poor litle Fayez. He had to drink pop. We watched the super-exciting, drama-filled ball drop….or was it a cow or a pig or something….in Manhattan to ring in the New Year. Of course, we had to count fast….because, let’s face it…..there are no skyscrapers in Manhattan, KS, like there are in Manhattan, New York. Even the tallest barn or silo is really not very tall!

Around 12:30 or 1:00, we left the bar to come back home…..to a New Year. We had a happy beginning to our celebration….and a happy ending…..hopefully setting the mood for the remainder of the year.

And, the quarrelsome trio were still at the bar…..and still had things to quarrel about. Probably setting the tone for their New Year, too.

But….I am happy and thankful that our way is the best way.

 

 

On Wednesday, December 18, Fayez  Alruwaili and I started our little four day adventure down into the heart of the Ozarks….Hillbilly country. With the car already loaded, we drove out of the driveway at exactly 7:00 A.M…..this may have been a “first” for being on time. And….maybe it was a good omen, too. The trip was great…..from the start to the scary finish.

Maybe one way to enjoy a successful trip is to plan carefully….but have low expectations. And, that is what we did. Before we left….and for a few weeks in advance….everything was planned out in fairly great detail. And…..if you know me…..I am an obsessive planner. But…..and I think this is true….we had rather low expectations. Low expectations in every area except for one: To have a good time and enjoy our rip. This proved to be a good combination.

Fayez and I have an on-going battle or disagreement…..a (mostly) friendly one however….about the value and usefulness of a GPS unit. This on-going discussion would keep thing lively the entire trip. I grew up depending on….and knowing how to use….a map. Fayez puts his faith in the GPS unit. And….I have to admit, the GPS unit did prove to be useful at times….especially in urban areas where it is sometimes difficult and confusing to anticipate….or to read….street signs. For highway driving…..may way….the good old map is the best.

Nevertheless, we managed to find our way to the farm of a friend….Sam Delap…..near Pleasanton, in east central Kansas. Did you ever get a picture of something in your mind, even before you see it? And that pictures sort of becomes reality? And then your “reality” is shattered when you actually see the real thing? This is what happened to Fayez and me in regards to Sam’s farm.

Sam primarily grows nuts….chestnuts, pecans, etc….on his land….along with some persimmons and other various trees. Both Fayez and I had pictured the farm as 50 acres of flat, tillable land. We were surprised….very surprised….but pleasantly surprised….when we actually arrived at his farm. It was a beautiful combination of flat land and rolling hills; of mature trees and tillable soil. It even had a pond and a creek running through it. If it looked this good in the middle of the winter….we can only imagine what it looks like in the spring and summer when the leaves are green and the flowers are blooming.

Fayez and I immediately decided that Sam had gone into the wrong business. This would be the perfect setting for a golf course or some sort of resort. And, I am sure plenty of “nuts” would show up and pay big bucks to stay there!

After checking out a nearby Civil War Monument, we headed to our final destination of the day……Springfield, Missouri. It was here that the GPS played one of its few useful functions. Springfield is bigger than I had remembered to to be. But….the trusty little GPS unit led us to our campground destination.

Actually, we were the only real campers…..along with several permanent or semi-permanent RV dwellers. And, even we “camped” in the most comfortable style possible. We had rented a camping cabin where we slept at night…..complete with a very efficient heater and wi-fi…..and showers across the driveway. But….we were still camping….by out standards, at least. If you have a campfire….and if you cook your food….and sit in front of your campfire at night…..you are camping. Right?

We did all of these things. Before we left home, Fayez had in advance prepared our evening meal…..a typical Saudi Arabian meal. At least, that is what he told me. It was delicious, to say the least….cooked to perfection in the fire. And, along with some good old American potato salad and some chips and dip, we enjoyed a filling satisfying meal. We sat in front of our fire…..trying to keep it burning….and trying to keep the brisk south wind off our necks. It was fun….and that is how we ended a good start to our little vacation.

Early the second day…..Thursday…..we headed down to Branson. It was on this day that it pays to do some planning…..but to have low expectations. To simply enjoy the moment and not worry about “what might have been”. My Number One desire in Branson was to visit the National Tiger Refuge. But a person can only see it as part of a guided tour….something we did not know in advance. Anyways, by the time we got there, the first tour had already started. The two other tours were in the afternoon….too late for us to even consider, if we wanted to arrive in Hot Springs before dark.

Having eliminated seeing the tigers as a possibility, we moved on to Option 2…..visiting a complex called “Hollywood”. It wasn’t quite what I had expected…..but usually nothing is quite what I expect. It is a large complex of various entertainment gimmicks. We turned down a tour of the wax museum in favor of a “mirror maze” and a sort of simulated video game….where the participants were strapped into their chairs on a revolving platform…..and fired a laser gun at creatures as they appeared on the wall.

The two “attractions” cost about $28.00 each…..and lasted approximately 20 minutes….and that is probably being generous. The mirror maze might have been challenging for a grade school kid…..or individual with an IQ of less than 100. But since both Fayez and I have IQ’s slightly above the 100 make…..at least, between us, we do…..the maze did not prove to be very demanding. And….what can I say about the simulated video game? It was more suitable for those people who sit at home all day in a dark room with a video game remote control in their hand.

So much for the city of Branson…..the playground of redneck sophistication and pleasure. We had talked of parking the car and walking down part of the “strip”….just to absorb the atmosphere and to check out up close that opportunities were available. But….alas….we had to move on to our next destination…..Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Depending on the trusty little GPS unit….instead of my more experienced and logical mind…..we took to the open Ozark highways again. Sometime in the mid-afternoon we approached Little Rock…..a place that definitely was not on our agenda…..but instead was a place mandated by the GPS. I am almost sure that it was neither the best route…or the shortest route. But…..there we were….too late to do anything but be a slave to the GPS unit.

Actually, the GPS unit did serve a useful purpose. Once we were within in a hoop and a holler from Hot Springs, the GPS directed us to our campground with surprising ease. As we had been told by the campground owner, we were met at the entrance by a semi-permanent resident, who directed us to our little camping cabin.

The semi-permanent resident who directed us to our camping cabins was, I thought, a rather sinister looking man…..covered with tattoos…..and, I thought, an evil glint in this eyes. Our cabins….the only one in the campground…..was more or less isolated from the remainder of the camping spaces. “The wood is free. Take as much as you want.” the guy told us. Free, indeed. All of the wood was probably 24 inches in diameter…..very ill-suited for starting a fire….of any sort. Fortunately, we had a bundle of wood left over for the previous night…..and we brought it with us. Otherwise, we would have been sitting in the cold and dark.

After fixing our supper…..which consisted of hot dogs and more potato salad and chips and dip…..we retired to the cabin for a game or two of rummy. There was a picnic table inside the cabin….another first for me. It was quite convenient….perfect for playing cards…..since there was literally nothing else to do. With no Internet, no TV…..no nothing….we went to bed early that night. The front door to our cabin had no lock. This was at least a slight concern to me: Remember the sinister looking man with the tattoos?

Obviously nothing happened to us……look! Here I am! And the next morning when I checked in with the camp owner, he assured me that the man and his wife….a woman with even more tattoos and with red bushed-out hair…..were “one of the sweetest couples who we could hope to meet.” And….all of that worrying for nothing. This cabin, although similar to other camping cabins, was probably the best one I have stayed in. It had the standard double bed and a bunk bed…..but it was more spacious and there was more room to move around. And, of course, the picnic table inside he cabin. The heater was very warm….almost too warm. I slept without cover all night…..and was still too warm. But….better too warm than too cold. If there had been Internet reception…..it would have been hillbilly heaven.

Hot Springs is an old tourist town with a series of hot baths which make use of natural hot springs which bubble from the earth. Supposedly they have some sort of medical or therapeutic powers…..along with the power to power to make each person about $50.00 poorer. That is what is costs to sit in one of these baths. Of course, there are other things thrown in….a massage and a couple towels, for example.

We didn’t take advantage of these springs. We did buy a cup of coffee in a coffee house located in one of the bath houses….which we drank on the front veranda while we watched other tourists stroll by. The coffee had its own therapeutic or restorative powers, since it was our first cup of the morning.

All of the large ornate bath house are located on a block called Bath House Row. Back in the “olden days” all of these bath houses did a thriving business. This was probably before modern medicine has sort of ruled out the possibilities of any magic benefits to be derived from these waters. Today, only two of the bath houses are active and used for commercial use. The others are tourists offices or other public or semi-public buildings.

If I had to pick out a highlight of our stop in Hot Springs, it would probably be having my pictures taken in front of “The Home of Bill Clinton” sign. The city is quaint, with lots of good bars….and probably a lot of summer time entertainment…..but it was not a major destination for us…..and we moved on town our final destination of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

After an afternoon of driving though some more hills and trees…..and don’t get me wrong….they are pretty, especially in the spring and summer…..we arrived in Fayetteville around the time the sun was setting. We found our motel, located just off the Interstate, easily. We got checked in, found our room…..and I immediately set up my laptop so I could check my e-mail after a two day absence.

Since the motel had no restaurant or bar, we left in search of one. We first found the University of Arkansas….where Fayez had to take a language proficiency test the next day. Satisfied of its location, we moved on to find a place to eat. Fayez had already checked on the various Arab restaurants in the city. We settled on a Lebanese restaurant. On the surface, it seemed like a good choice. The first bad omen….although we didn’t know it at the time….was that it hadn’t opened yet and we had to wait several minutes in a steady rain. It was only after we got inside….had ordered and eaten our food…..that the bad news showed itself…..in the form of the bill.

The food is ordered as individual items…..and not as a meal. Fayez ordered a variety of different foods….all separate items. The meal was over very quickly. And it was far from satisfying. And…..so was the bill! We paid $48.00 for what I considered to be about $12.00 worth of food. What we had anticipated to be a delicious and memorable meal turned out to be a rip off. But….what could we do? Just chalk it up as a learning experience and move on with out lives! And move on we did……to downtown Fayetteville, which was lively with people that rainy night. It is hard to tell after only one visit…..but it seemed that Fayetteville has something in common with Lawrence: a downtown that is the center of activity. A place where people go to walk, to drink, and to socialize. Even with a steady rain coming down, the sidewalk were crowded with people….and the streets with cruising cars. We ducked into what appeared to be a popular bar……ordered a couple drinks….beer for me and a soft drink for 19 years old Fayez. And, of course, some snack food…..because we were still hungry.

The next day…..Saturday….our final day before returning home…..was devoted to the English proficiency test that Fayez had come to take….the IELTS test. Although we started for the university early enough to arrive in plenty of time for Fayez to take his test……we got caught up in a rather monumental traffic jam. It seems that hundred of people were arriving for some sort of event…..although we never did find out what it was…..nor did we care. When it was apparent that we were not going to arrive at the testing center on time…..Fayez jumped out of the car and started running toward the building……only a few hundred feet from where we were stranded. No….we didn’t just leave the car abandoned in the middle of the road. I drove to the testing center….finding Fayez standing in the parking lot waiting for me.

I had intended to spend the morning walking around the campus of the University of Arkansas. But a steady moderate rain had descended upon the city…..and the temperature had fallen during the night. It was, quite frankly, cold and miserable outside. As as an alternative plan, I put the seat back into the full reclining position…..and went to sleep! I found this to be preferable to walking in the rain and getting soaked to the bone. Have you ever heard the expression, “He is too dumb to come in out of the rain.”? Well…..I am not one of those people. I never even went out into the rain.

Dire weather warnings were posited all over the Internet…..freezing rain, sleet, snow. None of it sounded good. Between naps, I called our neighbor twice to check on the weather conditions here at home. The first call was encouraging…..everything was normal; nothing was falling from the sky. But….an hour later, she called to tell me that it had begin to sleet….maybe mixed with a little bit of freezing rain. Not the news I wanted to hear.

The test lasted longer than I had anticipated….quite a bit longer, in fact. At one point, I had considered going to look for Fayez. I was just a little bit concerned…..although I had no reason to be concerned. It was hardly likely they were going to kidnap him or use him as a sex slave. But, I was concerned, nevertheless. I decided that if he had returned by 2:00/……I would go ask about him. But, as I should have expected, here he came…..with a smile on his face. He felt he had done well on the test…..and he was feeling pretty good about himself. And, I was happy for him, too. I know how hard he was worked to improve him English…..and I have witnessed the steady improvement throughout the year.

But, the celebration mood quickly ended as we made plans to return home. We knew that the weather was not good….lousy, in fact….all the way from Fayetteville to our home. We briefly entertained the idea of staying in Fayetteville overnight to see what the weather would be like the next day, Well, at least, I entertained the idea! Having driven on icy and snow-packed highways for decades…..and knowing how dangerous it is to drive on icy highways……I usually tend to be very cautious. It is better to get there late…..than not to get there at all.

We made the decision, however, to go ahead and start driving. If the highways became too dangerous to derive on, we could always stop at a motel along the way.

A couple sentences does not describe…..or do justice….to our trip home. Sleet and/or freezing rain fell almost constantly the entire trip. Although ice was freezing on trees and utility poles, the highways remained in very good shape for most of the trip. As we drove along, we kept wondering at what point the highways would become slick and icy. Actually, aside from a few rough patches in southeast Kansas, there was no problem until we turned onto the Ferguson Road at Perry. At this point it was apparent that no maintenance crew had touched them……and it was also apparent that few, if anybody, had actually driven on the road.

But….to digress a bit. We stopped in Nevada, Missouri, at Kentucky Fried Chicken….KFC. This KFC is the only KFC that I know of that has an all-you-can-eat buffet. Robert and I had stopped at this restaurant several years before…..and I wasn’t sure it still existed. But, when Robert reminded me about it…..it became an almost major destination. We found it…..we ate until we were satisfied…..and we hit the road again.

We arrived back at our house around 8:30…..only about an hour later than it would normally have taken….and this included our stop at KFC for supper. We had done well….and we were happy and relieve….and thankful….to be back home again.

Instead of staying “we” did well…..I must say that Fayez did well. He drove the entire distance between Fayetteville and our house. And, he did a remarkable job. I was proud of him…..and he gained some valuable life experience. Experience that will serve him well the longer he stays in Kansas.

We started our trip on a happy note….and we ended our trip on a happy note.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this year, our government shut down…..at least, all of the “non-essential” parts of the government shut down. More than 800,000 people were out of work….at home without receiving any pay. Unfortunately, the members of Congress were not included in this number. They continued to receive their full pay and benefits, even when they were needlessly and selfishly depriving hundred of thousands of hard working citizens of their livelihood. Luckily, I am one of the fortunate people who was not affected by the shut down. My social security checks continued to come; Medicare still paid my medical bills; the Veterans Administration was still in business…..and I did not expect to visit any national parks in the near future. But this does not diminish my anger and frustration about the shameful state affairs in Washington D.C. We were in the midst of a situation that should have never happened…..and one that the American people should never have allowed to happen. Somewhere along the way in the past twenty years or so….no even less than that….the people who we elect to make laws and to govern in our best interests…..the best interest of the nation…..have stopped representing the people, and instead have started representing themselves, their own special interests, and the wealthy people who contribute millions of dollars to their campaigns. Their main priority is the protection of their political party, and getting themselves reelected. They have lost sight of their true mission….the mission and purpose for which they were elected by the people. And this mission, I think, is clearly stated in the Constitution of the United States: form a more perfect union; establish justice; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare; and secure the blessings of liberty ourselves and our posterity. The Constitution says nothing about appeasing lobbyists….or catering to wealthy donors…..or protecting political parties…..or getting reelected. And, it also says nothing about championing a narrow ideology that is supported by a minority on the radical fringe…..either on the right or on the left. Our elected representatives are elected as advocates and champions of all the people. For the past several years our government has, for all practical purposes, ceased to govern. Basically, there has been a state of legislative gridlock…..gridlock based purely on partisan politics and the selfish personal ideological beliefs of a minority of legislators who put their own interests above the interests of the people who elected them….the people they were “hired” to serve. Laws are no longer passed. Important appointments are blocked. Budgets are not being adopted. To give an indication how quickly the partisan gridlock has developed…..and developed as a result of the Democrats controlling in Senate and the Republicans controlling the House of Representatives, take a look at the following numbers:

Congress (Years)	# of House Seats	Democrats	Republicans	Other
105th (1997–1999)	435	207	226	Independent (2)
106th (1999–2001)	435	211	223	Independent (1)
107th (2001–2003)	435	213	220	Independent (2)
108th (2003–2005)	435	205	229	Independent (1)
109th (2005–2007)	435	201	233	Independent (1)
110th (2007–2009)	435	232	203	0
111th (2009–2011)	435	257	178	0
112th (2011–2013)	435	193	242	0
113th (2013–2015)	435	201	234	0

Now let’s take a look at the number of laws that have been passed since 1997: 1997 – 153 2004 – 300 1998 – 241 2005 – 169 1999 – 170 2006 – 313 2000 – 410 2007 – 180 2001 – 136 2008 – 280 2002 – 241 2009 – 125 2003 – 198 2010 – 258 2011 – 90 2012 – 61 And, so far, this year, 2013, only 15 laws have been passed. You will notice that the past two years have been years of complete inaction on the part of Congress…..an almost complete stalemate. And, maybe you also noticed that these years coincide with the rise of the so-call Tea Party movement….an era in which a group of radical far-right, ultra-fundamentalist, close minded “Christians” have exerted enough power to bring the legislative process to an almost complete halt. In themselves, they do not have enough power to get any laws passed….but they do possess tremendous power to prevent laws from being passed. It is sometimes difficult to understand their real motivation, but I think it is safe to say that they do not represent or reflect the wishes and will of the population of this nation…..that their interests and intent is narrow, selfish and self-serving. They are holding almost all legislative activity hostage to meet their own demands. OK. I suppose that almost everybody has his own ideas on how to deal with or correct our current sorry mess. Well….so do I. Using my infinite wisdom, I am going to suggest three courses of action that I believe will help to improve, if not eliminate, most of the selfish, non-representative, partisan, self-serving tactics that are being practiced today by our elected representatives. 1. Impose term limits on all elected officials. This will help prevent the accumulation of individual power….or the sense of entitlement that comes along with serving for a long period of time in an elected office. It will also help bring new people and new ideas and approaches to the legislative process. It will also help weed out corrupt and incompetent individuals who manage to keep being re-elected due to the ignorance or apathy of their constituents. 2. Publicly fund all elections in a national general elections…..the elections for President and the elections for all members of Congress. This will put all candidates on the same level. It will level the playing field. It will encourage qualified men and women to run for office who could otherwise not afford it…..or who, because of their political party or the make-up of their voting district, can not attract sufficient amounts of money that would otherwise be funneled into individual campaigns by wealthy donors, who, in turn, will expect to be repaid for their generosity in the form of preferential treatment in passing legislation which will favor them or their commercial interests. It will prevent wealthy donors from simply buying an election. It will help stamp out much of the corruption that inevitably results from unchecked or unregulated private campaign funding. 3. When major pieces of legislation are being vote on, by law require that they be considered as individual, stand-alone issues…..one subject, one law at a time. Make it impossible to add controversial, politically or emotionally charged issues to them. Every law will be considered on its own merits….and this will almost certainly keep the legislative process moving. Laws that are obviously beneficial for the people….laws that are necessary and vital to the overall interests of the people and the nation will be passed. Politically controversial laws can be decided at the leisure of the Congress. Political parties and individual legislators can debate, fight, grandstand, and obstruct as they want……but the legislation that is of common good will be voted on in a timely manner, and the nation and its people will not be brought to its knees by partisan blackmail by either political party….or by self-serving, self-centered individuals. So……do you think any of these reforms will take place? Do I even think any of these reforms will take place? I am not naive, and I am not out of touch with reality. Probably anybody who thinks that any of the above reforms will be enacted by our present Congress……or any Congress……surely is naive and out of touch with reality. In the first place, I seriously doubt if any member of Congress is going to vote himself or herself out of a job. It just isn’t going to happen. And, I also seriously doubt if those Congressmen who are receiving huge sums of money from private individuals and corporations are going to say good-bye to a lucrative and easy source of money. And, I doubt if many….if any….have the slightest regard for fairness when it comes to funding election campaigns. And, there is always going to be a fringe faction who will actively and willingly resort to types of political blackmail or “hostage” taking in order to either get their narrow, partisan legislation passed……or prevent good, sound, necessary legislation from being passed. Actually, I think there is really only one way to bring about real change in our nation today. And that is for each and every citizen to become actively involved in the political process…..to become informed on the issues….to make their views known to their elected representative and let them know they expect to be listened to. But, most important of all……vote! And to vote consistently in each and every election……no matter what level….or for what office. Absolute power in the U.S.A. rests with the citizens….the people…..and they can exercise his power through their right and obligation to vote. People often gripe and complain and moan about their lack of control…..or feeling helpless. People say, “Why bother to vote?” We vote because that is our “voice” in our government. When we vote, we are “talking”; we are making our wishes and desires known. And, we have the right and the power…..and the obligation…..to make our elected representatives accountable and responsive to our needs and desires.

It is often said, “We get what we deserve.” And, we certainly deserve more and better than what we are receiving.  

Let’s talk about goals…..those targets you aim for in the future. I like goals. They give me something to strive for. They help keep me focused on making progress in my life. They keep my life interesting….and often rewarding…..because they bring about constant change in my life….in my behavior, in my routine, in my knowledge, in my future. They help to keep me “young”. They help keep me pushing ahead, instead of standing still. They add spice to my life. They make my life “taste” better…..and the recipe is constantly changing.

Actually, I didn’t start setting goals for myself until I was well past middle age. And, even now, I am not sure why I started. Maybe it was because I thought I was standing beside the road…..and the rest of the world was passing me by. Maybe it was because I saw retirement looming in the distance, and I wanted to be better prepared for it. Or maybe it was because I simply wanted to become a better person…..to lead a more interesting, satisfying and fulfilling life.

Or maybe it was one of the endless “feel good”, “inspirational”, “motivational” pep talks that I so often had to sit through as an educator. (And, there were plenty of them.) At any rate, as I recall, I decided to set some goals in my life quite suddenly. I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish…..and I started working to achieve them.

I don’t remember assigning a rating to them…..or ranking them in any particular order of importance. I just made a list of things that I wanted to do….and then I started doing them. I would never claim that I ever became an expert in any of them…..or even overly proficient. But…..I did set out to accomplish them.

Let me make clear now: These are “external” goals…..more or less physical activities or behaviors…..take it or leave it type activities…..things that add to my life….not things that are, or should be, already part of my life. I am not talking about moral goals, or ethical goals, or religious goals. For the most part, I feel that I have already obtained these goals, attitudes, and behaviors. They were instilled in me almost from the time of my birth: love, honesty, trustworthiness, dependability, empathy……

No…..these goals are activities and achievements that present challenges to be met, obstacles to be conquered, targets to aim for.

So…what are these goals? And….have I met them?

OK. I am going to tell you. They are not listed in any particular order, because there is no particular order. Some of them were essentially one-time goals, while others were….and are….continuing goals. But all of them have made my life fuller, richer and more satisfying and complete.

One of my goals…..a one time goal…no, let’s make that a two time goad….was to spend a summer working in a national park. I am not sure there was a logical reason for this goal. It was mostly just curiosity. After traveling many times through places like Yellowstone National Park and wandering through their gift shops, their restaurants…and seeing all the people who worked there…..apparently ordinary people, just like me…..I often thought, “Wow….this would be fun. Getting to live in an exciting, spectacular setting like this.”

So…..I obtained an application form from the company that ran the concessions in Yellowstone National Park. I filled it out and mailed to the personnel office. I was accepted. And, I was soon on my way to northwest Wyoming to spend an exotic summer, working in the midst of geysers, mountains, and grizzly bears. I was assigned to the Photo Shop Store in Canyon Village as a clerk in the photo developing section.

The job was interesting…..but after a while….let’s admit it….it was just a job. A busy and sometimes stressful job, dealing with hundreds of tourists from all over the world. It wasn’t as glamorous as I had thought it would be. It was low paying—minimum wage. But I did have a wonderful opportunity to explore in detail parts of the Park that other people….especially tourists….never see, either because they do not have enough time or because they are not interested.

Like I said…..it turned out to be just a job. On my days off, I explored the Park; I made some lasting friends……..and I liked it well enough that many years later, I accepted a job to manage the general store in Big Bend National Park in Texas. I achieved a goal; I satisfied my curiosity.

I had another short-term goal: and that was to run for a public office sometime in my life. Somehow I had this idea…..probably somewhat delusional….that maybe I could do some good….that I could use my expertise, my experience and my knowledge to bring about some change….to make improvements…..in our society.

The opportunity presented itself during my final year as an educator working in the public schools. Public school employees are prohibited by law from serving on a school board. Somebody decided it was a “conflict of interest”. Although the election took place before I officially retired, I would not take office until I was a retired, unemployed former educator…..drawing my social security and KPERS. At the urging of many of my fellow educators, I drove over to Oskaloosa, paid the filing fee…..and became a candidate for the school board.

In the election, I won easily. And, I spent the next four years on the board of education. I found out that nobody was interested in my expertise, my experience or my knowledge. But…..I did my best. I voted in what I thought to be he best interests of our students, teachers and taxpayers. One term was enough for me. But, I had achieved a goal.

Another goal….and it turned out to be a long-term goal….was to create stained glass art. Back in the 1970’s and 80’s, before I had foreign exchange students…and even while I had them…..my summer vacation destination was always the Oregon Coast. Each year as I meandered through the streets of the quaint ocean towns, exploring the little gift and souvenir shops, I would admire the stained glass art on display. Oh….if only I could learn to do that. And….one day I will learn to do that.

I found my golden opportunity in a class taught by Judy Swisher. Judy was…..and is….a versatile and multi-talented artist and teacher. She showed me the basics of cutting glass, grinding it, fitting it together, taping it, and finally soldering it together. After she showed me…..she said, “OK. Go ahead and make something.”

“What should I make?”

“Anything you want to make.”

For her, the sky was the limit. For her, it was none of this start out small and work up to something grander and bigger. She used the Nike slogan: “Just do it!” So…..I did. She was always around to help me, if I needed it. And, in the beginning, believe me….I needed it. But, as I became more and more experienced, she would basically simply leave me alone and let me do my own thing. Many time, she would simply leave the outside door to the art room unlocked, and I would come, work, and leave.

Over a period of probably a dozen years, I turned out well over 50 pieces of stained glass. About half of these are on display in my house. And I gave about half of them away. I stopped when Judy retired; I no longer had a place to work. But….I was ready to phase out the stained glass era of my life. I literally had no more space in my house to hang the stained glass art that I made.

At one point in my younger life, I was in pretty good shape…..probably up through and including the years I spent in the Army. Back in those days, I was skinny! I was so thin that I was often afraid my jeans would simply fall off. But…..somewhere around the age of 35 or so, things began to change. When I “things” began to change…..I mean, specifically, my waist began to expand! I no longer worried about my jeans falling off. I began to buy bigger and bigger clothing. I remember the first time I had to buy size XL. I was shocked. I was also embarrassed. I was getting fat!

It was somewhere in this era that I made it a goal to become more physically fit….and to control my weight……and to get into shape again. Over the years that followed, I found that I could combine this goal with my desire to learn some lifetime sports and recreation.

Therefore, the question became: Which lifetime sports or activities should I choose? I ruled out basketball. I was too old….and too untalented. I ruled out horse racing…..I didn’t have a race horse. Also stock car racing…..for he same reason: No stock car. Anyway, neither of those sports offered very much aerobic movement or exercise.

When I was younger I always liked to run….and I was fairly good at it. This was a viable possibility. It had excellent aerobic value; it would burn a lot of calories; it required no special equipment….except for a pair of running shoes; I could do it almost anywhere and at any time. So….choice number 1 was settled upon.

Weight lifting? Why not. I had access to weights both in our school weight room and at the YMCA. Again, it was an inexpensive sport; it would build my muscles; it would burn calories. Not only could I do this alone….although using free weighs alone is somewhat questionable……but I could also to it with other people, if I wanted. Ah, ha…..choice number 2 decided.

OK. What else? I wanted a game of sorts…..not a team sport, but still something where I could play with and against other people. A sport that I had easy access to…..and one that was not overly expensive. And, exactly how hard could it be?

Every time I went to the YMCA, I would see people playing racket ball. It looked like fun. And it looked like it would be good exercise. And, all I needed was a racket and some racket balls. An achievable investment.

The final sports choice came fairly easily. For years, I had been driving past a golf course near by house. And for years I had wished I knew how to play….to hit that little ball down a neatly manicured fairway…..to raise my golf club into the air as a sign of triumph when I made a hole-in-one. OK…that never happened, but I did decide to learn to play golf.

One summer I enrolled in a golf class at Washburn University. I ended up getting an F in the course….not because I didn’t learn to play golf…..but because I had to leave to go on vacation….to the Oregon Coast, of course…..and couldn’t be there for the final test. Mostly, I learned to play by joining a class taught by a former golf pro. He was excellent. He knew what he was talking about…..and he was able to communicate his skills through both demonstration and explanation.

Racket ball? A friend of mine taught me how to play it. And, after a lot of trial and error, and after getting beat a lot…..I finally began to improve.

But, my goals were not all fun and games. I vowed that I was not going to simply let my mind wither away once I had retired. I set a goal of keeping my mind active, and that I would continue to learn and expand my educational and cultural horizons. To accomplish this goal, I enrolled in adult education classes sponsored by the University of Kansas…..classes they offer in three sessions throughout the year.

These classes are taught by professors from K. U. and Washburn…..along with other experts in various fields. There is no preparation, no homework, no textbooks, no tests. You just pay your money, show up, listen….and learn. These are my kind of classes. Through these classes, I keep on learning.

I also set goals to continue traveling as much as I could afford. I set a goal to continue inviting foreign travelers and visitors into my home…..although my days of hosting foreign exchange students had come to an end. I am no longer willing to get up at 5:30 a.m., wake up a sleepy teenager, drive them into school…..and then make sure I was waiting for them at the stoke of 3:30. Instead, I opted for adult travelers, who could take care of themselves, and didn’t make as many demands on my time. But, I still had a great opportunity to meet fascinating and fun people…..to continue learning about different cultures and lifestyles……and also, hopefully, to share with them some of my unique lifestyle…..and our American….our Midwestern…..was of living.

Another of my goals was to volunteer my time and talents to help others. I dabbled in this briefly….found it to be interesting and worthwhile. But, mostly because of health reasons, I found that it was simply not something I felt that I could commit myself to.

Wow…..looking back, it seems that I aimed toward a lot of goals.  Did I set too many goals?  Was I able to achieve them and master them to my own high standards and satisfaction? The answer is No….I didn’t set too many goals…..and Yes….I am happy to know in my own mind that I have accomplished all of them. And, I am pleased and contented that today none of them are my goals any longer. They are an important part of my everyday life, They are things that today I take for granted. No….I don’t do all these things each and every day. But… I know if I wanted to….I can.

I have asked myself why I have been so successful in achieving my goals and accomplishing the things I set my mind to do…..and why I didn’t give up. First of all….I set the goals voluntarily and consciously. Nobody forced me to do any of them. Second: I chose goals which let me to do things that I really wanted to do. They not only had physical or health or social or cultural value: They were fun. They were not a burden….but a blessing.

I also tried to keep the goals realistic. Over the years, I have pretty well learned what I am capable of doing…..and what I have absolutely no talent or aptitude for. I mean….I wasn’t going to become a bull rider, because I doubt if I have either the physical or intellectual talent or aptitude to pull it off…..only the aptitude to be throw off the bull!

Fourth: I set goals that were readily achievable because the resources to accomplish them were readily available. The stained glass teacher was only a short drive away; the YMCA is in Topeka; the golf course is only a few miles away; Washburn and K. U. are within easy driving distance. And…..I could run….and now walk…. almost anywhere.

I like to meet other people….especially people from foreign countries; as a former educator, I like to help people. In other words, they were all within the realm of the (very) possible.

They were all accomplished rather inexpensively. None of them required any unrealistic capital outlay. They all presented definite challenges in their own unique way…..a large enough challenge to make each activity interesting and satisfying….but not so difficult that I had no chance of achieving the goal.

So……what’s next? Are there any more goals that I want to achieve? Any more challenges that I want to tackle? You bet! Next I want to learn to play drums…..not just one drum…..but an entire set of them. I want to learn to jam out with the best of them. And, I am also eagerly looking forward to taking up metal art….yard art….junk art….or whatever you want to call it. First of all, however, I have to learn to weld. Impossible? I think not. Drive past my house some day in the future…..and I am almost sure that it will be covered with weird metal art……..and from inside my house, you will hear me jamming out on my drums!