A NEW YEAR
WELL HERE IT IS A NEW
YEAR AND I’M STILL
ALIVE. I DIDN’T THINK I
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. MY
DAD DIED WHEN HE WAS 70
YEARS OLD. THAT WAS IN
1973. I THOUGHT IF DAD
LIVED 70 YEARS, THEN
THAT’S WHAT I WOULD DO.
YOU KNOW THE THREE SCORE
AND TEN THING.
IN 1973, THAT SEAMED
LIKE A LONG TIME OFF. I
WAS ONLY 41 YEARS OLD
THEN. I DIDN’T GIVE IT
MUCH THOUGHT AT THE
TIME. THEN IN 2002 WHEN
I TURNED 70 YEARS OLD, I
GAVE IT A LOT OF
THOUGH. NOVEMBER 12th
OF 2002 WAS A REAL RED
LETTER DAY FOR ME.
I WONDERED HOW I WOULD
GO. IT’S NOT DIEING
THAT I’M AFRAID OF. IT’S
THE PAIN OF DIEING THAT
I FEAR. I’M RIGHT WITH
GOD AND READY WHEN HE
IS.
WHEN I WOKE UP ON
NOVEMBER 13th,
I LAY THERE IN BED
WONDERING IF I WAS
DEAD. IT DIDN’T TAKE ME
LONG TO DECIDE THAT I
WAS STILL ALIVE. MY
BACK HURT, MY HIPS HURT
AND MY NOSE WAS
RUNNING. BESIDES ALL
THAT I NEEDED TO GO TO
THE BATHROOM.
I GOT UP AND WENT INTO
THE BATHROOM AND
RELIEVED MY BLADDER.
NOW THAT I’M UP I
THOUGHT, I MIGHT AS WELL
GO AHEAD AND SHAVE. SO
I SHAVED AND BRUSHED MY
TEETH. THEN I TOOK A
HOT SHOWER. THAT ALWAYS
HELPS MY ACHING JOINTS.
AFTER I GOT DRESSED AND
MADE MY BED I WENT INTO
THE KITCHEN. I WAS
HUNGRY SO I COOKED THREE
STRIPS OF BACON AND TWO
EGGS OVER MEDIUM. WHILE
THESE WERE COOKING I PUT
THE TEA KETTLE ON THE
STOVE TO HEAT SOME WATER
FOR JOHNNIE’S INSTANT
COFFEE.
I GOT THE MILK OUT OF
THE REFRIGERATOR FOR MY
DRINK. I DON’T DRINK
COFFEE. BY THE TIME I
GOT THROUGH EATING, THE
TEA KETTLE WAS WHISTLING
AND JOHNNIE CAME IN AND
MADE HER FIRST CUP OF
COFFEE. “JOHNNIE, CAN I
MAKE YOU SOME
BREAKFAST?” HER ANSWER
WAS, “NO, I WANT TO
DRINK MY COFFEE AND WAKE
UP BEFORE I EVEN THINK
ABOUT BREAKFAST.”
SO I WENT INTO THE
OFFICE TO CHECK AND
ANSWER OUR EMAIL. WE
HAD 36 EMAILS ALREADY.
33 WERE MINE AND 3 WERE
JOHNNIE’S. I STARTED
DOWN THE LIST OF EMAIL,
READING, ANSWERING AND
DELETING UNTIL I HAD THE
LIST WHITTLED DOWN TO
6. THEN JOHNNIE CAME IN
AND ASKED IF SHE HAD ANY
MAIL THIS MORNING.
“JOHNNIE HAVE YOU
DECIDED WHAT YOU WANT
FOR BREAKFAST YET?”
“LOREN, YOU’VE BEEN IN
HERE OVER TWO HOURS
NOW. I’VE ALREADY
COOKED AND EATEN MY
BREAKFAST. NOW GET OUT
OF THAT CHAIR AND LET ME
READ MY MAIL.”
WELL I LET LITTLE FOX
OUT AND WENT OUT ON THE
FRONT PORCH AND SAT DOWN
IN ONE OF THE CHAIRS WE
HAVE ON THE PORCH.
OK, THIS IS TYPICAL OF
WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON
EVERY DAY SINCE NOVEMBER
13th, 2002.
THE WAY I HAVE IT
FIGURED IS EVERY DAY I
LIVE NOW IS A BONUS.
HERE IT IS JANUARY 1st,
2005 AND I’M STILL
ALIVE. SO GOD MUST HAVE
A REASON FOR KEEPING ME
HERE.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT
REASON IS, BUT I’M GOING
TO KEEP ON DOING WHAT
I’VE BEEN DOING UNTIL I
FIND OUT. IN THE MEAN
TIME I’M HAVING FUN
WRITING THESE LITTLE
STORIES AND SENDING THEM
TO PEOPLE. IN FACT I’VE
ALREADY STARTED MY NEXT
STORY. I WOULD TELL YOU
ABOUT IT BUT, THAT’S A
WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A
DIFFERENT TIME.
COPYRIGHT
2005
