BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR.........

My first new car:  1972 Chevy Chevelle (Forest Green).
This car is similar but not my new car.  Was a great car.

I Remember when I was growing up, I couldn't wait to get my driver's license,  Then the day came and I was so excited because I could now drive!

Now that I have my license, what's next on the wish list.  A car was a must have.  This led to a job and saving money and building credit.

The day finally came.  Bought a brand new 1972 Chevy Chevelle.  It was forest green with cloth interiors.  What a beauty!  Cost was $3,000 with a monthly payment of $73 a month.

Then there were sales taxes to pay and license plates to buy.  Oh yes, it ran on regular gas that sold for $.33 a gallon.  Oil had to be changed every 3,000 miles.  Tires soon wore out and it needed new brakes.  Yes, we required to have full coverage insurance. Had to cover all these expenses on a minimum wage of $1.60 per hour.  I was promoted to the Accounting Department were I earned $2.08 an hour or $500 a month.

YIKES!  Be Careful what you ask for!

I remember when I found out that my wife was pregnant.  We both were so excited, then the day came and the baby was born.  Then the medical bills came, the doctor's bills arrived, and all the other medical bills of anyone who touched the baby.  There were clothes to buy, formula to buy, and diapers two.  There were medical checkups and sick visits too.  There was a loss of sleep as the baby cried during the night and needed to be fed.  The baby and soon crawled and then walked.  Another came along and then another.  The costs continued to rise.  There were morals to teach, games to attend, discipline to administer, school work to be done, summers to enjoy, and then came graduation.  Where did the time go.  Now, they are grown and there are grandchildren to enjoy.  YIKES! Be Careful what you ask for!  It comes and goes so quickly...time that is.  You miss the days when they were young....wish you hadn't been so busy!

I longed for the day when I could retire.  The years dragged by...30........40.....50.  I got my AARP card (Thanks Sis, for a such a great birthday gift).  .  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I blinked and here it is....Retirement!  My, it was only yesterday, I was five playing in the front yard on the farm and now I am 63 and enjoying what I love.  Time has gone by so quickly.  I miss my friends with whom I worked.  I miss the challenges of my calling and the routine of the monthly closing, yet, I would not trade where I am now.  

I have the time to spend with my family and my friends.  I have the time to research and to write.  I can stay up late and sleep late.  I can watch TV when I want and chat with people online thousands of miles away.  I can see events happen as they occur on satellite news.  No, I wouldn't trade places or go back to 1954 when I was five.

In a couple of weeks, I will celebrate another birthday.  I will be 64.  God, thank you for allowing me to see the changes I have seen in the last 64 years.  Thank you for the mistakes I have made and the grace and forgiveness that You give.  Thank you God for loving me just as I am.  I don't have any complaints, Lord.