My Home Room 1967, a photo by Michael 1952 on Flickr.
I am a product of the 1960's and 70's and am truly a boomer. The picture above includes yours truly, I am in the white shirt in the second row, third from the left. Standing right in front of me is my first love, Josephine. I was really pleasantly surprised to see this charming and to my eyes the prettiest girl in my division. I thought this was God's way of saying that you are going to have a really good year. It started badly because that first day I did not walk up and say "hello." I was very shy around girls, they were a mystery to me. I mean how did a boy talk to a girl? I heard other boys talking to their girlfriends and they what they were saying did not seem like something a guy should say to a girl. So I said nothing. What would have happened that first day in Ms. Duba's division if I would have said something, anything, to this girl who had been on my mind since sixth grade? Eventually I did ask her for a date, to the Military Ball that my ROTC troop was hosting and the date started out well and kind of went bad, but that is a story for another day. Suffice it to say that this was a one time date and I was devastated. But after so many years I was able to establish contact with her and through the internet we brought each other up to date with was happening in each others lives. I also found out what went wrong at that military ball, she too was very shy. Anyway, I found out that she had been married twice, one ex husband is in the process of converting his liver into something hard enough to strike matches off of and the other one passed away in extraordinary circumstances. Josie had a very hard life, and I don't to go into details here but I admire her for the courage that she has and how she overcame many obstacles and is a happy person that contributes much to those around her. I wouldn't be a human being if I didn't wonder "what if." What if one of us was not shy, what changes would have that made in our life's? I knew from sixth grade on I loved this girl but because of various circumstances in my life I had built walls and wasn't going to let anyone hurt me so I was ill prepared to give more than a little bit. That date we went on tended to confirm every bad notion I had about myself and I dug a deeper foxhole. Would have I married Josie? If my fantasies which started in sixth grade are any gauge, I would have done whatever it took. Unfortunately I was walking wounded and was so for many years.
If my wife Mary reads this (no one so far has read too many of my posts LOL), dear one, you are the one that I have chosen to share my life with. Mary you were the first one that accepted me for who I was and where I was. Your stole my heart and I don't know where I would be in life without your love and support. I was very fortunate because the two times we got married, once before a judge and then before God and His Church are the happiest days of my life.
God works in mysterious ways and His ways make every day a day that can change the path of your life. Don't take my word for it, but don't say I didn't warn you.
So I watch the children play and dream my dreams of yesterday.
Don't tell them to be grateful I'm sure that they've told.
If I knew then what I know not that would have messed it up somehow.
When the day stretched out before me like a long long Texas road
Yes a long long Texas road 'bout a million miles or so
When you're just a child there ain't no time but now
Must have left that long old road seven hundred years agi
And I'd find it once again if I knew how.
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