AMAZING

 Well, the truth is, I haven't been to a "brick and mortar" Department Store, let alone a Mall (if there are any left?), in a couple of years. It's not that I think Macy's and JC Penney's will actually miss me. Some of my clothes date back to the last century! I'm not exactly a compulsive buyer or a shopaholic. But, I have noticed that they are closing quite a few of their stores. Like Sears, Wards and K-Mart, they may be also toast, before long. 

Oh, I'm still buying stuff. But, like a great number of Americans (I can't speak for Brits or Italians), I am buying my stuff on line. Amazon is indeed Amaz-ing. Why, would I drive to the store, locate a place to park, WALK in, buy something, and drive home? 

I prefer to sit with my computer, or phone and click a few buttons. It's almost too easy. And, my purchases are usually right at my door, the next day! Alexa, who is, I think, the cute girl cousin of Amazon, is a big help in this new retail process. I just ask her, "Alexa, where's my stuff?" And she tells me where in the delivery process my items are. 

Retail is not what it used to be. I do feel a bit sorry for the owners, or in the case of the big chains, the investors. I sincerely hope they have planned for the future. Because, nothing remains the same, dear readers. Some of us can remember neighborhood grocers, front door milk delivery and doctors making house calls. And, gasoline at 25 cents a gallon, pumped by an attendant who also wiped your windshield and checked your oil!

Life goes on. It's survival of the fittest, or maybe those with the quickest fingers, win. Change is inevitable, and for the most part, an improvement.

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Lord, we are your servants. Keep us mindful of all of Your children. We ask for patience and endurance.

 

"Ain't it funny, how time slips away?"

 Like clockwork, my Alumni Magazine, from the of University Kansas arrives in the mail. This magazine reports similar news, in each edition. The Kansas Basketball Team, depending on the time of year, generally gets most of the print and glory. Well, you know, they are always in the top ten schools, at winning. Their recruiting news, number of games won and who is getting drafted into the NBA, is big news, to most folks. Hooray for the Jayhawks!  

The campus is growing and changing. KU is building a new Football Stadium. Apparently, our Football Team, relatively unnoticed and unremarkable for decades, has been winning a few games. Win a game or three and build a new multi-million dollar ball yard. Makes sense, I guess.

Rhodes Scholars and graduates doing important scientific things are always featured. And, there are ads for the Alumni Association and a few Lawrence businesses. Then, there are the obituaries and notices of recently deceased alumni. In the most recent issue, there were 53 names and obits listed, for the decade in which I graduated. I read all of them, but didn't remember knowing any of the folks listed. KU was and still is, a large institution.

The last feature, of the Alumni Magazine, is a "by-year" description of recent achievements attributed to notable alums. In this section there were a mere 4 items listed, for my decade. The achievements were mostly retirement announcements! 

We the graduates of the 60s, folks, are toast! We've been there and we've done that! We have the Tee Shirts and the scars to prove it. Now, most of us are relaxing and enjoying our remaining years. Oh yeah, we have travel plans and travel experiences still on our bucket lists. We continue to "go on ticking", but we are past our "for best results, use by this date....." notice. And yet,........there are a couple of senior citizens, well past 65, who still think they are capable of running for and holding the highest office in this country. Why?? What are the odds that either one of them is going to make it through one term? Seriously, do either of them remember what day it is, or even care? Experience is one thing......"Depends" and walkers are reality.

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Dear Lord. We all need reminders of our limitations. Sometimes, however, we also need a hint about letting go and letting the younger folks take over.  You are our strength and constant. Guide us as we age.

Time for a RE-UNION

One of my favorite Blog Themes has forever been "the benefits of growing up in a small town, during the 1950s and 60s". Small towns are known for many things, but one of the best just might be having bunch of high school classmates, that have remained close and in touch, for 60 years.

This week, we will be traveling a short distance to our home town. Almost, without exception, our high school class has met for some type of gathering, regularly, for 6 decades. Yep. This weekend will be the 60th Year REUNION of the Pittsburg High Purple Dragons, Class of 1964.

I know that I will have a wonderful time, I always do. After all of these years, it will be a gathering of true friends. Many of us have known each other, since we were 4 or 5 years old. We saw each other sporting those bulky letter jackets and pony tails from the 1960s. We screamed over the Beatles and swooned over Pat Boone. Cried over the death of a President. Then, in a couple of years, we watched our boyfriends go to Viet Nam and our girlfriends have babies.

The "Jocks" and the girls, with the perfect "flip hair- dos", are grandparents or great grandparents, now. We are all Seniors, again. The playing field has evened and we will be happy to greet and talk to everyone who appears at the door. We might notice some canes and maybe a wheelchair or two. Several of our classmates have passed on, since our last get-together. But, we'll imagine that we really haven't changed that much!

We are all experiencing the same aches, pains and geriatric illnesses, so those will not be the topic of conversation this weekend. People will do a lot of remembering. Football games, the cute guys over in the shop, dragging the gut and the White Grill. We'll remember summers at the Lincoln Park Pool and  swimming in the Strip Pits. Good times. 

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Lord: You are our constant. Thank You for always being there. Thank You for the memories. We are Blessed.