Life Events Fit Sense Of Belief

Just as the contractors on the road project here in Eureka made changes to fit the needs, I had made some notes for a blog this weekend, but TV discussion and announcements caused me to change my topic content yesterday.

As a kid, growing up on a local farm in the midst of the big Depression as the youngest in the family, I spent much time with my rifle, my dog, and nature—making decisions based on what I observed at any time. This went on in school as due to time in Eureka when members of our 1942 basketball team were practicing in the EHS (Eureka High School) gym, Pearl Harbor was being bombed.

The next day, in the same gym, we listened in an assembly, to the famous "Day of Infamy" speech by President Franklin Roosevelt. Later that term, my Uncle Stanley Wallach, then St. Louis County proscecuting attorney and a veteran of WWI who was in France during the battle, also spoke in the same gym. Right now, that is where I vote each election.

So far about events being responsible for actions.

At Missouri U, I studied ROTC when I was still 17, but since there was a war that needed production, I dropped out to farm until drafted at which time, my ROTC training kept me from having to do combat duty. This was discussed in earlier blogs.

Then after duty, I came back to farm, and in 1951 after a deep early snow, someone asked me to go to Jefferson City to a Missouri Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting. Due to my families long ties to the Farm Bureau, I came back home as a member of the board of directors of the foremost farm organization in Missouri.  Again events move my life, as I served in that position for 10 years.  Events that promoted my knowledge that allowed other activities when I was replaced.

That enabled me to serve Missouri as a state representative for a term when critical decisions were made. Because I knew of prison needs, I was rewarded by the acceptance of a tract of land for the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center, and during my term for the Highway W Meramec Bridge improvement.

Again events were shaping things, not because of me, but they happened.

You know of my illness and then my quest to be a Patch blogger.

In the past week, Osama bin Laden, died with gunshots to the chest and head at age 54, and is talked about being an old man. A NHL hockey player, at age 28, died.  Seve Ballesterous of gold fame, died of a brain tumor at 54.  Harmon Killebrew, a Hall of Fame baseball player, is giving up his fight against cancer and going into home hospice at age 74.

But here I am at more than 86 now, writing blogs.

So it is Sunday and after watching a morning of depressing talk shows on a lot of topics, mostly grave, as I awaited the Cardinal game and was switching from channel to channel, I heard Joel Osteen give a fascinating and uplifting sermon on being at the right place at the right time and doing what was right. A higher power evidently became the guiding light in his success.

To me, he recited the story of my life.  And I felt positive and good. 

Each event, good or bad, opened a door to new opportunity.  Thanks for reading.