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If I Had To Do It Over…..

There are many tales I could tell you about when I was growing up. The time when I was in the boy scouts, and later in sea scouts. Those were great times for me. I might add some of those stories later on. For now, it will suffice to say I had a very happy childhood with many fun type adventures. Those that knew me in my young years have told me that I was rarely serious about anything. I was just a happy-go-lucky kid they told me. I loved it being a kid; it was such a good time for me. In some ways, I'm still a kid and I hope I never lose that. Everyone has the right to harbor a little bit of Peter Pan within themselves, a part of you that will never grow up. Believe me, I have my fair share of that wonderful "kid like" feeling and I will never let it go.

Looking back on the whole spectrum of my life, what would I change if I had it to do over again? This may surprise you, but there is very little about my life that I would change. The mistakes that I made, I would make most of them all over again. They are the greatest teachers in the world, mistakes are. It will help your life a great deal if you can learn from the mistakes that other people make too. In fact, it's almost mandatory that you do learn from the mistakes of others, you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.

If I had it to do over there are some changes I would make, nothing major though. To begin with, I would have spent more time "smelling the roses" as the expression goes. I would not have worked so damned hard, just to acquire things with the idea of keeping up with the Jones'. I would have had a whole new and different attitude about life. Namely, "to hell with the Jones'". I would have done different things as the opportunities presented themselves instead of holding off on them till some undefined time somewhere in the future that never got here. There are many opportunities that you only get one shot at. When they are gone, they are gone. It's very true what they say about life's regrets. You don't necessarily regret the things you've done or the mistakes you may have made. However, you really do regret not doing some of the things that you could have done. That is an absolutely true and accurate statement, in my opinion.

If I could do something over, or live part of my life over, what would it be? Well, that's a tough one to answer. Life has been pretty good to me for the most part. I have had my share of happiness and joy as well as an appropriate measure of sorrow and pain. The good with the bad as they call it. Still, much of it was fun and most of it was enjoyable. Yet, I had all I could handle getting through it the first time and frankly, I would have some difficulty mustering up much enthusiasm to go through the whole thing all over again.

However, there is one thing that I would like to have, if I could only have it. (As long as we are fantasizing about something impossible, why not). What I would like to have is this. I would like to have my ears back. By that I mean, I would like to have my hearing back the way it was when I was a youngster. My hearing then was so sharp and clear, I could hear a pin drop. Then you know what I would do? I would come on home to Illinois in the summer. Then on a steamy, humid night in mid July, I would find my way to a cornfield somewhere, go in, lay down on my back right on the ground where I could smell the earth, and marvel at the stars. Then, with the accompanying chorus of the crickets and other creatures of the night, I would just lie there and listen to the corn grow. Some would think I am crazy, and for that matter, maybe I am nuts. But for me as a young boy, I thought that to be a most exhilarating experience, just listening to the corn grow. And to this day, I regard the sounds of that experience as one of mother nature's, no not mother nature, but as one of God's very sweetest symphony's.

Thanks for your participation.

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