How Am I Doing?

One of the things that stood out at Mark's memorial service, both in the eulogies and Facebook posts was, that no matter what he was currently interested in, he did it with a passion. Mark's interests were wide and varied. He involved himself passionately in everything he got interested in.  WWII aircraft, Karate, poker, trivia, his job and the list goes on. The things that carried over throughout his life were music and movies. He was a bit of a geek. He was much like the boys on Big Bang Theory, but not as smart and not quite that geekie. I have pictures of him at A Renaissance Festival and a picture of him with a flag draped around his shoulders, Captain America, I guess. He was always ready for an adventure.  His last passion was photography. He was passionate about it and shooting in Manhattan. He won a $2,000 camera last fall. He was scheduled to help a professional photographer shoot a wedding this summer. He was really quite talented. I think maybe someday he would make it a profession. He had the eye. God's plan, however took him from us too early, but I realize that in doing so God allowed him to pack it in in those too brief last years full of passion.

The reason I tell you all this is that it got me to thinking, How am I doing with the life I have left?Last week I posted a piece written on my last day of work, before I retired. I decided I would make a list of what I did in those twenty years.

Wrote a column in a food service trade magazine for two years.
Took a creative non-fiction writing class.
Wrote two books on selling and marketing in foodservice, Self-published and I made a little money. In reality it was two versions of the same book for two different segments.
Lectured and talked my book in seminars and trade meetings, including Cornell.
Became a coin collector, learning and collecting many quality coins. II was especially proud of my pennies from their beginning until 1995. Only missed the 1877, that was over $1,000, when I gave it up.
Got interested in genealogy and traced all my key lines back to when they came to America. All before the Revolutionary War.
Wrote my family history in the style of creative-non-fiction. Yet to publish. That's not good.
Had my second coronary bypass operation. A sixer. I was 57.
Retired for the second time from my little consulting business.
Went to Europe five times.
Started going to Coronado for the winter. Started at a month and elevated to four or five months.
Met Carolina and Raul and family. They have become part of my family and the kids call me Grandpa.
Started writing. Blog, lookingfornirvana.@blogspot.com
Diagnosed with prostate cancer. Beat it with radiation, which also killed Richard (Dick) Johnson.
Spent three days in the hospital with pneumonia.
Installed a pacemaker/defribilulater. Keeps me ticking.
Got divorced after 42 years. Who would have thought it?
Moved permanently to Coronado. My bedroom window looks out on the Bay and Amphibious Base, where I started my adult life. How's that for full circle.
After playing golf twice a week for years, gave it up. Not sure why.
Learned to dance.
Developed special friendships with several people. This means so much.
Found a relationship with God at the Rock Church. Truly has changed my life.

Overall, I guess I have done pretty well living the last twenty tears. I have lived with heart disease for thirty years and I'm still going. I know my heart is in failure mode, but I feel good. I am ready for whatever God gives me. Losing Mark was the only real tragedy in my life, but I am at peace with it through faith.

Whatever the future brings I am ready.

And I walk on making my memories

Have a great day. LIVE IT!

Sam