Those Were the Days

For all of us growing up was not always easy whether we lived Gig Harbor like myself or in Europe among many places.

We all had our ups and downs for different reasons. It may have been our health, learning disabilities, or being teased and bullied. We all have stories to tell. The most important thing we made it into adult which is another story to tell.

There were times that I did not like at all growing up. I wish God had just taken me away or I was not born but those times made who I am today.

I have seen pictures of myself as a kid and almost always had a smile which meant I had some good times as well. The most important thing was my parents loved each other and us kids. They were together forty years when my dad died while on vacation and visiting family in France. Things were not always easy for them but they stuck it out; we can’t say that for many families these days.

As far as an activity my dad’s greatest love was sailing. He went out a lot of weekends on races. At times we went out with him as well. Though he loved sailing our family was still what he loved most. It sure something I admired about my dad. Unlike me he did not talk a lot but when he did there was a lot of wisdom in it.

 One of the hardest things growing up was that Gig Harbor being a small down everyone knew each other which were good in some ways but the negative sometimes felt like it outweighed the positive though it really didn’t.

Now looking back the hard things like taking a long time to learn to talk and read turned out being a victory. When I was little I had a hearing problem which turned out that I had wax in my ears. Though it was a little thing in some ways it took a while to sort out. It seemed like a lot of things for me took a while to work out but the great part they did work out.

The whole thing is that champions like us are not made overnight it can take some time to do so. I believe is that right way to go otherwise we can take things for granted and think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

I look back to that time, and it seems like it was a whole different lifetime. Though I know I lived it some of it I do not remember which can be a good thing.

I wish I could go back in a time machine. The reason is not to live it again but watching it as an observer. I could see what to learn from it.

If you have children or grandchildren tell them to really enjoy their childhood and not to grow up to fast because those times will never come again. It is important for us to enjoy those times as well. Mold them into being loving people who can be champions themselves, and live a life of adventure.