Wilderness Blues- Ramblings from the Great Land

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~This is a poem that my Fan Story friend Adonna wrote. I never really cared for poetry until I started to read some of the work she put out. I've never known anyone who could put what was in their heart to words as well as she does. Her husband is suffering from dementia and she's been in need of some friends. I'm glad to be able to call her a friend, I only wish we lived closer to each other so I could help with some of the chores. My thanks to her for letting me use this fine poem on my blog. When I was a child I did not know how small the world could be. I did not know you were born only a few miles from where I lived, and if, perchance, I saw you at the grocery store clinging to your mother's hand as she reached for your favorite cereal, or smiling from a car window that passed me on the street, I did not know enough to smile back or to wave hello. I wish you had reached out for me then as I passed you by. If only I'd known you were so close. But God...

 Twice this past week I went to the post office and discovered boxes from long time friends. I wasn't expecting them, and I guess that's what makes them so much more special. Earlier in the week I received a package from my friends, the Pinards. We have a special bond that people often share when they've gone through hard times together. For a number of years we lived at Game Creek with other families, raising our children, working on various projects, eating together, worshipping together and laughing together. We both ended up leaving and moving to Hoonah, where we continued to socialize, frequently getting together on Saturday nights to play cards or having dinner on a Sunday evening or special occasion. When they left Hoonah we felt like a part of ourselves was missing. We still keep in touch and Jan and I were fortunate enough to share a dinner with them on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Nonetheless, it was a surprise to receive a package from them. When I got hom...

  About a week ago my friends Mark and Sarah let us know that they were going to be moving to California. Of all the places that I wouldn't want to be right now, California would be near the top of the list, right behind Portland, Seattle, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and any place in China. From what I can gather, there are a number of folks from California leaving and heading for the more sane places like Texas and Idaho. I just hope they leave their liberal ideas behind. One California is all this country can stand. In any event, the news hit me like a ton of bricks. I had no idea they were even thinking of going. I think there is a lot of sacrifice involved in the decision, and that's their business, but for my own selfish reasons, I really, really hate to see them go. Friends are hard to come by nowadays, true friends that is, and I've seen so many of my friends leave Hoonah over the years. I sometimes watch them go and wonder why I'm still he...

  For the past several months, I was blessed to be able to work with a young man named Whitney. His father was out of  town and needed someone to stay with him for part of the day while his mom was at work. I had worked with Whitney a number of years ago when I was his aid at school. Frankly, working at the school was one of the hardest jobs I ever had, but my time with Whitney made it all worth while. Like Forrest Gump said,"Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get"; every day was like that for me. One of the things I liked best about him is that he is so brutally honest. There is no political correctness or worrying about offending you when he speaks. He just says what's on his mind. You always know what's on his mind, and that's refreshing.  When I worked with him at the school, we ran a school store. Most school stores carry pencils, paper, pens, rulers and other odds and ends that are almost a guarantee that th...

 2014 is drawing to a close, and so I thought it would be a good time to reflect on some of my many blessings. This is by no means a comprehensive look at them all, but rather a small fraction of God's goodness to me. I recently heard a Christmas song that I haven't heard in years. The lyrics in part go like this- when I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep,and I'll fall asleep, counting my blessings. I hope that as this year ends and a new one begins, you'll join me in looking back and reflecting on the multitudes of blessings we enjoy. Thank you for your interest in this blog. God bless and keep you, and God bless America. May we return to our roots and once again be a beacon of light for the world.