Remembering Simpler Times (Blog #2)

Remember when you were young and less jaded? For some of us, life was simpler then. Cell phones, digital cameras and personal computers were unheard of when the picture of me posted to the right was taken. No emails, SMS text messages, blog posts or even the Internet existed in the mid 1960s.

In first grade, we wrote our writing, spelling or other written assignments on "Big Chief" writing tablets. They usually had a red cover with a picture of an Indian chief, with really "wide" writing spaces with a dotted line in the middle separating the top and bottom lines. As we developed first our printing penmanship, and then our "cursive" handwriting, that dotted line served as our guide for the proper formation of our letters.

I remember all through elementary school, our homeroom teacher or the art teacher would guide my classmates and me through making hand made greeting cards for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and maybe even Thanksgiving or Christmas. Sometimes, we even planted flowers or made other simple gifts for our mothers for one of those occasions. My mother kept a number of those things, and a few years ago decided that I should have them back. The photo above, which was seen after the film was removed from the camera and most likely taken to the local drug store (as we called them back then) to be sent off for development. With no same day photo locations, it probably took several days for the pictures to be returned to my teacher before it could be attached to the Mother's Day card in which I hand wrote the greeting.

During this highly reflective period of my life, it seemed appropriate for some of my blogs in this series of 50 to offer a look back at "how things used to be". I did notice from the picture above that the saying "Some things never change" is indeed true. Flannel shirts, jeans and "tennis shoes" (though not used to actually play a game of tennis) are still the most comfortable clothing in my wardrobe. One thing that surprised me was that the cuffs on my jeans. That is one thing I simply am unable to tolerate at this juncture in my life. Then again, I was always quite short for my age until later in high school. It would have been natural for my parents to buy jeans that were longer so that I could "grow" into them. That's just the way it was.

If you find yourself pining for simpler times, maybe you should take a look back at your own life. Pull out some old pictures and think of what was your life was life "back then". Perhaps you will find that there are some ways in which your life might be simpler again. Until next time, have a great time "remembering simpler times"!

~ DB Turnmire

50 / 50 Vision (Blog #1)

At first blush it may seem that anyone who actually had 50/50 vision should proceed immediately to the nearest eye doctor to have his or her eyes checked. Perhaps one would think that some type of corrective lenses or procedure would be necessary to help the poor soul see all of the things which have been missed while stumbling around. In reality, however, 50/50 vision is exactly the same as 20/20 vision which is considered by most to be "perfect" sight. 50/50 vision means that one can see at 50 feet what a normal eye should see at 50 feet. The same is true for 20/20 vision - a person's eyes are able to see at 20 feet what a normal eye should see at 20 feet.

In my case, I am not speaking about vision or how well a certain subject is able to see from a certain distance. For me, in this blog posting, 50/50 vision refers to my vision of completing 50 blog posts by July 27, 2009. The reason for my ambitious plan to blog comes on the heels of some scathing remarks made some about my "failure" to blog daily. Somewhat as a test my determination and commitment, I have decided that it is fitting to blog 50 times culminating with Blog #50 on July 27, 2009.

For those who are still checking and reading my blog, feel free to comment or offer topic suggestions for future posts. I hope you find the next 49 blog posts interesting enough to keep you coming back to read more. Happy Summer!

~ DB Turnmire

Pondering History

There is an old cliche which states that "history repeats itself". Of course, sometimes events in another person's life will remind us of our own past. While a similar situation will present a new perspective for us when it happens to someone else, that is our opportunity to share any kernels of wisdom we have learned through our experiences. Having said that, I decided to share another poem which was written a number of years ago...

LONGING TO BE LOVED

April 2, 2002 ~ David Turnmire

We spend much of our lives waiting, searching, dreaming, and hoping
For the right person.
Along the way, we compromise our hopes, our dreams, our values, ourselves.

We attempt to find happiness and we strive to love.
Often we overlook what we perceive to be another’s shortcomings.
So we offer our hearts, our minds, our souls, our bodies
As we commit ourselves to something different than we hoped for.

For a time, we are comfortable and outwardly at peace.
Wearied by the journey, our inner voice is only a whisper
And easily ignored.

Then, one day, it happens…a voice, a face, a glance, a thought.
The stirring begins and the cries of our inner voice grow louder.
A conflict within us reminds us
Of our hopes, our dreams, our values, ourselves.

From day to day, our personal struggle weighs on our hearts and our minds.
There is no doubt our love is true.
Yet, that still, small voice pleads to be heard.

Perhaps there is no answer to this life’s dilemma
But what do we do when our hearts would be torn apart.
One thing can be certain…
A missed opportunity to love is a lost opportunity to love.

Therefore, this question remains:
“Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?”

___________________

For those who have been through the pain of being in a serious relationship that has ended, somewhere along the line someone will tell you that "it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all". In many instances, that is true. However, I would contend that such a statement is not always true. There have been times in my own life when I did not feel that at all. Fortunately, time does have a way of healing old wounds and changing one's perspective. Each one of us will have to answer the question for ourselves. "Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

___

~ DB Turnmire