Those Were the Days

 It was a song by Mary Hopkins that has no bearing on our lives back then, but when you are young the world is your oyster.  But those days are gone now, but the memories linger along with many songs from our era.  I know I’ve written a lot about the music from the 60’s to the early 70’s, but it’s the music we listen to today; at least I do.  My wife is little more eclectic, but in the car my wife and I both have our playlists from our era.  

But the fact is I can’t stop listening to it, mostly because it was so good.  There was a basement pub we frequented as students.  None of us drank, but we’d drink our Cokes and enjoy the atmosphere and it was off-campus where a few would order drinks.  But thinking back on it, those were our days.  My wife and I didn’t have a lot of days of dating before we were engaged, but I remember those days with great fondness.

Fifty years later life happened but with our 50th anniversary coming upon us we both reminisce.  And we reminisce with great fondness of those days.  But I don’t sit here looking back at what could have been or should have been, but rather in some respects I live in the now looking ahead with anticipation.  

But it’s not about politics, but rather it’s about the Divine Interventiin to come.  This is my anticipation, but still I listen to the music with great fondness of those days.  Up until the mid-60’s life was idyllic, but it changed with the times, with social upheaval and uncertainty with the war and all.  I swore I’d never go to Viet Nam, but then it wasn’t a worry after my graduation from high school.  I had friends who served and had many stories from Nam, but I didn’t have to concern myself.

But looking back would I have been better off having been in the military?  I may have been one of the 52,000 or so who never made it back alive, but then I’ll never know.  But now is now and right now is all that matters.  And a few times my life could have been different had I made different choices, but then I’d never know my wife.  And had I made other choices since, I might not be here.  And then two brushes with death because of illnesses, I might not be here still.

But I survived those brushes with death and I’m still here.  Got didn’t want me in the military and He prevented me from dying and so I am will here.  I can reminisce about those days and look back on my life with understanding and a thankful heart.  We’re still a couple of months from our anniversary, but my thinking is we will both make it.

I’m writing with a thankful heart this morning while I smoke my Boswell pipe with Haunted Bookshop thinking I’m happy the way my life turned out and I’m hoping my family and friends are too.  My coffee this morning is Blue Bottle coffee.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave