The Present

Every boy wants to be a great man. I was told that Jesus was a great man, so I, like many others, aspired to be great like Jesus.

No one came along to take me to the desert where I could wander around wearing a robe and sandals to commune with God, but the concept stayed with me.

Like many others who aspired to be great like Jesus, I experienced some apprehension as I approached the age of 33. (Some of you know the feeling I am talking about.) Now that I am 63, I can be relatively assured that I will make it past 33.

Some of the people I talk with, have told me their fear of not surviving past a certain age.
They will say something like, "My (dad/mom/sister/brother/aunt/uncle) died when (he/she) was ___ years old. I will be ___ next year and I am worried that I will die then too."

I generally say, " You are here and it is now. Be happy. Enjoy this day that God has given you. Don't waste this beautiful gift of NOW. You are worrying about what may or may not happen in a time and place that doesn't even exist yet."
It is smart to plan for the future, but you don't live there.

What a glorious gift writing is. It's a form of time travel. Here I am tethered to this moment in time, writing these words to express my thoughts, and here you are in my future, presently reading what I am presently writing, in your past. What a trip!

To sum this up,
Every boy wants to be a great man.
Am I a great man?
My life is great!
It's great to be.
It's great to be alive.
It's great to be aware.
It's great to know I am a child of God.
It's great to be well read.
It's great to be a musician.
It's great to be an artist.
It's great to be a scholar.
It's great to be 63.
It's great to be literate.
It's great to comprehend.
It's great to be happy.
It's great to love and be loved.
It's great to be thankful.
It's great to help others.
It's great to know God.
It's great to be blessed.
It's great to be humble.
It's great to know humility.
It's great to see God.
It's great to touch God.
It's great to hear God.
It's great to love God.
It's great to be me.
I am a great and grateful man.
Thank God for all these glorious gifts, this miracle called; "The Present."