Friday, January 2, 2009
WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR. THIS IS MY 65TH (OR 66TH) NEW YEAR. AS I WAKE UP TO THIS HORRIBLE CHICAGO WEATHER I THINK ABOUT OUR PLAN TO MOVE TO A WARMER CLIMATE. OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR (BERNIE MADOFF) RECOMMENDED THAT WE HOLD OFF FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. ACTUALLY I HAVE HAD 7 OF THE LAST 8 DAYS OFF AND I HAD TO COME DOWN TO WORK TODAY. I RAN OUT OF THINGS TO KEEP ME OCCUPIED (DON'T TELL MY WIFE). IS THIS WHAT RETIREMENT FEELS LIKE? THIS LOCATING OF OLD CLASSMATES HAS BECOME A FUN HOBBY. IT'S LIKE FISHING. THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE NET. MY LATEST IDEA WAS TO LOOK IN THE OLDER YEARBOOKS FOR SAME LAST NAMES AND CONTACTING THE OLDER BROTHER. I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE MILDLY AMUSED BY MY HOBBY BUT I HAVE RECEIVED SOME GOOD FEEDBACK FROM A FEW CLASS MEMBERS. YOU PROBABLY ARE ASKING WHY DO YOU WANT TO RECONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD FROM IN 47 YEARS AND ALL I CAN ANSWER IS THAT WE HAVE A BOND THAT NEVER WILL BREAK. OUR PATHS ARE SIMILAR JUST BECAUSE OF AGE. WE ACHE, WE TAKE THE SAME MEDICAL TESTS, WE TALK OF OUR CHILDREN AND THEIRS AND WE THINK OF THE OLD DAYS, WHETHER HAPPILY OR BITTERSWEET, AND WANT TO SHARE OLD STORIES WITH SOMEBODY WHO REMEMBERS GOOD OLD NILES EAST. WE WILL ALWAYS BE TROJANS.