Leaning back in my swivel chair, my arms wrapped behind my head, I find
myself reminiscing about my seventy-eight years and the learned lessons of truth
and consequences they have taught me. As Cousin Clem is so wont to opine, "Most
folks are akin to a mule. Ya can't larn them nothin' lest ya rap 'em up side
thar haid with a 2 by 4." The knots on my head are proof of that. So here is my
"larnin'."

PREMISE: Everything is relative.
In my early years we were poor. But we didn't know it because everyone in our
neighborhood was the same. A five cent Pepsi, a ten cent movie, or a hot
cinnamon roll were equivalent to a video game, a DVD, or pizza today. Playing
capture-the-flag, hide and seek, or just rolling a tire was more fun then than
Little League baseball, soccer, or theme parks are today. Why? Everyone could
not only afford them but we could participate without coaches, parents, and laws
regulating the rules.
CONCLUSION: Happiness comes from a state of mind, not a credit card.

PREMISE: Education and dedication are the keys to success.
Being president of my senior class didn't mean I was educated. It only meant
that I was popular. I failed in my first attempt at college. Three years of
the G.I. Bill wasted. My humiliation was so intense I "escaped" by rejoining the
Air Force. That was the best thing that ever happened to me. Four years
later, I re-entered college, graduated, and entered a long and successful career.

CONCLUSION: A person is a loser only if he fails at something he likes.

PREMISE: No man is an island unto himself.
I believe that the greatest hell on earth is to be without family or friends.
It is our innate nature to share our thoughts, emotions, and substance. We
may not always agree with others but it is the intercourse that gives meaning
and purpose to life. That is why Casual Chat is so important to many of us. A
letter from a friend, a call from a family member, a visit from a neighbor can
mean so much to each of us. Can you imagine, being alone, in a personal crisis?
I can and I have. Many turn to prayer, Others turn to violence. Still others
shun the world. Today, it seems, clinical depression is becoming a major
health problem. It is indeed sad that our modern world has lost so much of its
community spirit.
CONCLUSION: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

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