Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Remembering the Past



Bob’s 3rd Quarter Newsletter
2014

Remembering the past

It could be said that life is comprised of a string of memories of what had come before interspersed with fantasies, or worries about what might come next.

For whatever reason, living in the present seems to take a backseat. Perhaps this theory is behind the popularity of simple past tense with a third person narrator as a means of telling the story within the world of fiction.

Don’t take me too seriously. I’m making this up as I go.

During the 4th of July weekend of 2014, my mom, who now resides in Kansas, came to spend some time with us. She is such a blessing, and I thank God daily for her. An extended period of coping with her, though, can prove quite adventurous. Kathi, my sweet wife, and I have found that keeping mom occupied acts to lessen the opportunity for unintended mischief. Thankfully, she loves to cook, which keeps her busy for a while. She’s very efficient at it, turning out wonderful meals in what seems a miraculous amount of time. In an effort to maintain our sanity, Kathi and I have become somewhat adept at keeping mom busy In between these Julia-Child-meets-Doctor-Who episodes.

Recently, upon interlude, Kathi suggested we drive to Sand Springs to revisit some of the sites in the small town where mom and I had lived. We drove by the schools I’d attended and the house where I grew up. I’m always amazed at how small and close together everything looks compared to my childhood memories. However, the trip proved rewarding in ways I had not anticipated. Instead of reminiscing about my early childhood, I began to relive the time when my romance with Kathi was in its infancy. On the way back to Tulsa, we took the old route, driving along Charles Page Boulevard. Among the memories we saw along the way, was an old hamburger stand where Kathi and I would meet when we were dating. The building has long since been abandoned but it’s still there. It had been called Whiz Burger. Yeah, I know. We joked about the name back then as well. But the memories are golden. During a brief period, when I was without wheels, we would meet there, with Kathi walking from Tulsa and me from Sand Springs. The hike was probably five to six miles, but I would have done it even if it’d been fifty. I was madly in love with her.

Shortly thereafter, circumstances surrounding my home life caused me to determine it best if I left it behind. I asked Kathi to go with me and together, with nothing more than the clothes we were wearing, a few dollars, and an old Ford Falcon, we made our way to Texas. On August 25, 1969, we were married.

Forty-five years, two children, and four grandchildren later, I’m still madly in love with Kathi. We survived the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin… Well, you get the idea. We’ve been through a lot together. My life with her has been good. I could ask for nothing more, except for another forty-five.


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This article was written by Bob Avey, author of, Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com.

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