I was pursuing Facebook and I saw a great photo of Christmas 1952. Although, I did not come along until 1957…the photo of the, ecstatic, young boy, when he realized that he was getting a toy peddle car, reminded me of a similar car that I had in the late 1950’s! I enjoyed many happy and care-free hours peddling my little heart out! The Christmas tree, in the ‘Old Christmas’ photo…looked just like the Tree that I recall when we lived in Chicago.
As I walk the campus of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale, and snap photos of the lovely blossoming spring trees…I am reminded of my being mesmerized by the beauty of our campus, through out the 42 years that I have been affiliated with it! Our pandemic has caused me to be appreciative of the little things…which I have discovered are, really, the big things. It is miraculous to be able to wake-up each morning and to be excited about the possibilities that the day has in store!
I discovered, many years ago, that when inspecting the quality of my cleaning, in the early days of my career, and discovering that, although, I saw it with my own eyes on a nightly basis, I really had failed to see so many important facets of it. There is a saying that applies; ‘It is all in how you look at it!’
When I was a child everything that I saw was new and unique and wondrous to behold. There was an adventure around every corner. I saw a Cardinal yesterday. He posed for me for some time. What a magnificent creature! He appeared to have on a little red hat.
I have been ordering books from my favorite independent book-store, Main Street Books, in St.Charles, Missouri. Every time that I order one…I get a thrill out of the experience. I am expanding my library…and helping such a fine establishment…and the owner sends such lovely and heartfelt postcards with each order.
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I saw a photo, on Facebook, of my old friend, Brad Dillard, and it was of him in his police officers uniform and the narrative spoke of his completion of his police training. There he was, smiling broadly, and I was transported to the time that I first met him, and noticed what a friendly person that he was…and we were both much younger.
MJ and my good friend, Wendi, is making us both a face mask…I am humbled at her love and care for MJ…and this Old Curmudgeon!
We are surrounded by love… Our nurses love us…they are risking their lives for us! Our grocery store staffs love us…they are risking their lives for us! Our custodial staffs love us…they are risking their lives for us! Our truck drivers and warehouse workers love us…they are risking their lives for us!
We are afraid…with good reason. But, the helpers…are all around us. We are surrounded by God’s love…when we are surrounded by his loving creation!
Our present distress has magnified the love and concern that our human family has for each other. From the singing on the balconies by the precious home bound Italians…to the united applause, in the United Kingdom, for it’s heath care workers…to, ‘At exactly 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening, thousands of New Yorkers in quarantine stood on their porches and near their windows to applaud first responders and health care workers on the front-lines of the coronavirus outbreak! ABC 7
The Happy Traveler 