As I grow older I have time to remember and forget…sometimes forgetting is the best way to go. I miss the porch but they keep telling me that rehab is the way to go…and I keep forgetting that. I remember the things that have taken place in my 81 years and I can’t forget those who gave so much to make it a great time to be alive. Consider this… I remember how hard my mother worked to make a home for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember my Dad and his love of country, he was career military, Air Force…enlisted in the old Army Air core served 30 years. We lived on military bases for most of my life…those that had dependent housing. There was never a whole lot of money but mother used the base grocery wisely but if we had to live off base it was not always easy for her to plan meals for the family. I remember as strange as it might sound how being on a military base was a great thing. 25 cent movies, free pool, gym and library and every now and again meeting my Dad at the base mess hall for lunch. They had the coldest best milk I have ever had, that milk machine was awesome and yes that ice cream machine was a wonder…hold the lever down and it just kept coming. I would like to forget the moves every few years, always the new kid on the block. Most kids formed life time friendships and the memories that come with those. While I am forgetting things I would like to forget the ordeal of never really being part of the community. Consider this…if there was no on base housing for dependents the military provided a housing allowance for off base quarters. People were not very nice to us. This was in the mid fifties…we were often, my brothers and sisters and I referred to as military brats. I believe that’s where that preverbal chip on my shoulder comes from. To continue on this forgetting path I never felt I belonged anywhere, kinda a man without a country if you will; the problem being I was just a kid. Then came Texas…Texas adopted me, actually I Adopted Texas. There I was welcomed as I was and judged by my actions…I could establish my own character. I worked hard to be known as a person who kept their word, told the truth and treated others as they treated me. You know what the biggest thing for me was?  When people asked where are you from…now instead of all over I was proud to sayTexas! Now I had a home, I was all of 14 years old. All these things I will remember but the most important thing today is I will never be alone or forgotten. My God is my anchor and when the time comes I will be going to my forever home.

Kurt