No, not anything that is of world importance, life-changing.  Not anything that changes the world as we know it.  Not anything that matters in the ‘grand scheme of things’.  But, to some of us, a part of our lives will be forever gone.

The 41 year run of ALL MY CHILDREN is ending today.  It has delighted, and intrigued, and taught us.  It has tackled tough story lines.  As much as a show needs to be relevant to continue to attract viewers…AMC chose to be current by bringing the hard-to-deal-with social issues of the day into the story lines of the most beloved characters.  The writers dealt with gay and trans gender issues, infertility, racial bias, natural disasters, rape, abortions, adoptions, mother/daughter, and father/son issues…all were so well written and never trivialized.  It was possible to see how others lived and/or dealt with the everyday ‘living’ of these situations.  It helped many watchers learn to deal with or tolerate those who lived with these issues.  Many were rarely talked about or socially taboo subjects.  You may never have the chance to hear a subject being talked about in polite company except on a soap.   They dealt with the Viet Nam war, the AIDS epidemic, wife-abuse, cocaine addiction.

I hear it often said that the morals of the people who live on the soaps are very loose…”always jumping from one bed to another” would be the exact words.  But, in this soap, I did not find that to be true.  There were many older characters who continually tried to instil moral behavior in the younger set.  There were families who dealt with family issues.  I found it very true to life.  And, lives are not always lived by the moral code we wish they were.  I personally believe that ‘logical consequences” teaches far more than constant lessons and beratings.  And, there were plenty of consequences to the actions of the folks in fictional Pine Valley!

But, no show could keep viewers if the characters did not feel like ‘real’ people.  And, the characters, young and old, were like our families.  However, there was never any character like Erica Kane in my life…thank goodness!  Women loved her because she would say and do the things they wished they could.  She spoke for them…an ‘unofficial’ spokeswoman.  Men loved her because she was beautiful and fiesty.  Her character started out on the show as a conniving teenager who constantly battled with her mother.  She became the character the show revolved around.  And, with viewers, it was a constant love/hate relationship.

Now, I’m not the type to live my life through the lives of those on a soap.  It’s ‘make-believe’ for heaven’s sake !  It’s not real!  It is a TV show, with amazing characters, and excellent writers, relevant story lines and it managed to resonate with people for over 41 years!  That’s quite a feat in anyone’s book !

I’ve watched it for as long as I can remember.  It started in 1970…I was 17 years old…and a Junior and Senior in high school.  I remember watching it first as a college student.  We arranged our classes around it.  Groups would meet in the grill area where there were televisions.  We watched Erica and her boys as we ate nutricious cheeseburgers or pizza or fries and milkshakes.It became an escape from reality in the midst of those hard college classes like various types of higher math that was developed strictly to cause the brain of the average college student to explode several times during the 90 minutes of each class.  It wasn’t pretty.  And, the soap was the only thing that made sense among the x and y which would equal something different every time.  Tell me how are you supposed to make sense of something like that?  And, I’ll tell you something else…a, b, and c did not mean the same thing at SU that it did in the Dothan High School!  ***I’m sorry,  I have no idea how those last few sentences  jumped into this post on AMC. Bringing up ‘math’ will do that to a person.  Deep seated and unhappy memories, I suppose.***

I’ve watched the show with relatives, including my grandmother on visits to NC, and with my cousin Harry when he came in for lunch.   I’ve watched with nurses while in the hospital with Alex in Chicago, I’ve watched in the doctor’s lounge with Ian’s doctors in Chapel Hill.  I’ve watched on vacation in Maui.  I’ve watched during a monster snow storm  with Joy and Alex in Boston, going back and forth between the window and the TV.    I’ve watched in Colorado, NYC, FL, GA.  I remember when Adam was in the hospital in Birmingham when he was so young.  We would watch cartoons all day.  A l l   d a y !  Except for the hour or so he would nap and I would escape to Pine Valley and visit with the Martins, the Chandlers, and the Montgomery’s..along with various other characters.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the cameos appearances.  Many of the celebrities that actually watched the show would call to see if they could play a small part in it.  There was Rosie O’Donnell, The New Orleans Saints, The Olsen Twins, Richard Simmons, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Montel Williams, Meredith Vieira, Dom Deluise, Elizabeth Taylor (twice), and Carol Burnett (three times).  Also, quite a few of the characters have gone on to more recognition in their careers.  Josh Duhamel-won the Emmy, Melissa Leo-won the Oscar, Levin Rambin, Eva LaRue, Lauren Holly, Amanda Seyfried, Kelly Ripa-Emmy nominated, Lacey Chabert, Jesse McCartney-Emmy nominated., Sarah Michelle Gellar-won the Emmy, Colin Egglesfield, Kim Delaney, and Lindsey Price.  There have been multiple other Emmy winners through-out the years!

And, so it ends.  More than just a TV show, I think it all comes down to the characters and the writing.  I think those of us that attempt good writing, certainly recognize and appreciate it when we see it…I mean, read it !  This show has that and has has inspired many.  Which I believe is the key to its longevity.

I must say, though, that I hate to see ABC cut this show when it has continual good rating and so many loyal viewers.  They are replacing it with some dumb show called The Chew.  Just what we need, another show to tell us how to cook.  I’m afraid ABC has lost this viewer for that hour.  Even though I do not enjoy cooking and food related shows anyway…I would not watch it just on principle.  They killed AMC, so The Chew can go on without me.

I’ll miss it.  I’ve watched for a big portion of this life…and it has been around as I have grown and matured.  Thanks for the memories, and the lessons, and the fun!

Here is an excerpt of an article written by Susan Lucci recently.

(Recent information indicates that several of the long-time characters on the show will attempt to continue the storylines on a daily internet show.

I do not enjoy most reality shows.  In fact I hardly ever watch them, unless it is truly a group of talented contestants involved.  I have enjoyed watching So You Think You Can Dance for 8 seasons.  It is amazing (as I’ve attested to you before).  These young people have put years of hard work into their craft.  I always look forward to watching.  And, they are truly judged on merit.  American Idol…not so much.  It seems to have become more of a popularity contest.  I did like the new judges, but the show became more and more risque last year…and quite inappropriate for children…who happen to love it!  Now if I watch at all it is when it gets down to the final 5.  Dancing With the Stars…EHHH…It’s OK.  But, I think they are really stretching it with the ‘stars’ bit.  It is nice to see the ones who truly try and become more skilled each week.

Then all those’ surviving in the jungle’ shows, and the ‘find a boyfriend on national tv and go on to have a meaningful relationship’ and vice versa…are the pits.  And, the losing weight shows, and the ‘getting knocked in the water by big scary looking contraptions’ are quite inane.  And then there is the ‘do this impossible thing in a minute’ show, and the newest one to hit the air, ‘It’s Worth What?’  I watched it once, actually I was in a place where it was on and I couldn’t leave.  If I could have, I would have slapped that television off before anyone could see me.  I tell you this, if I ever have to hear that man say, “It’s worth what?” again in this lifetime…..I will have to have my head examined, cause I’ll have lost my mind!!!!

But, FEAR NOT!  my fellow tv watchers…all is not lost.  There is hope for all of us who appreciate real talent.  There is hope for all of us who appreciate good music.  There is hope for those of us who appreciate the technic and the subtle nuances in a quality musical performance.

Here is what NBC has to say about the show…along with the website you can go to to find out more if you are interested.

Now, if you are not familiar with this type of music, you will be surprised when you hear it for the first time.  It sounds like the music you hear everyday…complete with accompianment.  But, look around…there is no orchestra.  There is no band.  There is no lone pianist or guitarist.  All the sounds of the instruments are made by members of the vocal group.  Believe me, when you hear it the first time, you will not believe there are no instruments.  Last year the winners were a gospel group from Sweet Home Alabama!  They were a group of young, black men and were fabulous!

There are big groups, small groups, college fraternities, groups from the workplace…young and old.  It is just a delight to watch.  Watch it for a few weeks and see if you don’t really enjoy it.  This, to me, is music at its best.  Now, it is a reality show…so there is voting off and leaving the show to have to watch.  But, last year, each group had composed their own ‘farewell’ song…and sang it as they left the stage after being voted off.  Very nicely done.

There is so little quality television now.  It seems every show has gotten to be too filthy to watch…especially in a group.  But, The Sing-Off is totally safe to watch with your whole family…(Unless something changes from the last 2 years…and you never know, in television.)

Shows on Monday night at 8:00/7:00 central, starting September 19.  I’d love to know how you like it.

Here we go…more memories.  This first one is a step back, then a jump forward.

JULY 1980

This was a day of fairy tales.  This was a day of magic.  This was a day when girls the world over could say, “It’s true, it’s true!  You really can meet a prince and fall in love and get married.  You can wear a real tiara and live in a castle.  You really can.”  And even though I was 27 years old, I watched and was mesmerized.  As the stories were told of the courtship and the engagement and days leading up to the wedding…I felt like the whole of it was a fairy tale.  And, I was getting to watch it play out!  [I watched it all night long while my family slept.  I had one son and my second child was due in 4 months.]

Honestly, when she arrived and got out  of the carriage and we got our first look at that dress….it was breathtaking.  It was magnificent!  It was perfection.

And, then…all the little children that were attending her in their sweet outfits…just divine!  That was the first time I had seen anyone have all children as attendants, and I understand that is the custom.  As she began walking down the aisle and that train flowed out like a white capped river behind her, I thought it was the most beautiful wedding I had ever seen.

The only thing I didn’t like were her flowers.  Looked like they took every white flower in the garden for the bouquet.  It must have weighed a ton!

And, as the festivities were over many thought that ‘she had it all.  She’d made it!  A commoner (even though she did have a royal bloodline) met a prince (can’t make myself call him handsome).  She married him and went to live in the castle.  And, they lived happily ever after.’    That is the way fairy tales are supposed to end, isn’t it?

AUGUST 1997

I finally got all my boys in bed (now I had 3).  And, I sat down to flip through a new magazine…the television had been left on and I do not even know what was on.  But, the sound bite that plays when a network breaks into a program came on and I looked up to see what was happening.  Princess Diana…car crash….several dead…. taken to hospital….paparazzi.  And, I couldn’t leave the TV.  Again, I watched through the night…waiting to hear if she was dead or alive.  How many others were doing the same thing the world over?  Soon we learned the awful truth.  She was gone.

I’ve often wondered why this affected me.  Not in a big way, but just a sadness at the whole situation.  And, I think it was because the fairy tale was really over now.  Charles and Diana had divorced, but she had remained a public figure and continued her charitable work.  But, now…it all had ended.  And, it is so much the same for so many of us, isn’t it?  We may not be a real true Princess, but our hope and dreams and wishes are just as real…and they, too, may be crushed.  It’s how we react to this that tells our life story.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

And, now to the tragedy that is known simply by 2 numbers 9/11.  Everyone knows what it means.  Everyone remembers.  Everyone has stories to tell.  Everyone changed after that day.   I don’t think any of us knew what terrorism really meant and how close it was to our home land.  But, that day taught us many, many lessons.

Do you remember where you were?  Most of us do, if we are old enough.  And, I do, as well.  I had gotten up early that morning because I had a trip planned to Birmingham.  Alex had an appointment with one of his doctors in Birmingham that afternoon.  Joy was going with me this time.  Before I left to go and pick her up, I called my friend, Tina, to tell her something.  She asked me if I had heard the news?  I quickly got off the phone and turned on the TV.  This was after the first plane had hit.  The newscasters were trying their best to report what had happened without panic…but you could see it all over their faces.

I was watching when the second plane hit.  I was dumbfounded.  Newscasters were still saying that the first plane could have been an accident, but after the second plane hit, they reported we were under attack.  UNDER ATTACK?  What did that even mean?  Did you know?  We were not like other nations who had lived with attacks and threats for many years…they knew what it meant.  I didn’t.  I could remember, vaguely, when there were ‘fallout shelters’ located around town.  But, I had no idea what to do if we were ‘under attack’.

I got in the car with Alex and went to get Joy.  And, then we went over to Mom and Pop’s house to decide what to do.  I called Don, and he said he thought I should go on…”Life goes on”, he said.    We turned on the TV and all sat watching…and then there was a third plane crash into the Pentagon.

I felt very uneasy about traveling anywhere.  I just wanted to stay home and watch the news.  Soon the news went back to New York where the towers were collapsing.  People were jumping.  Jumping to certain death.  When I see these people huddled next to the windows, it tears my heart in two.

I think they probably thought they were going to be rescued.  The tower surely wouldn’t collapse.  It was too strong for that.  Safeguards were in place.  When the first tower fell, what did those in the second tower feel?  Did they know then?  Did they know there was little hope? How unthinkable.

We heard then that all flights had been cancelled throughout the country.  WOW…that was big!  And, then the news told us that towns and cities were imposing curfews.  Stores and shops were closing, schools were closing and kids were coming home to parents…the world seemed to be ‘closing down’.

And, next came the news about Flight 93…

We heard of the telephone calls and we heard the actual voices of those who knew where they were headed.  We heard the voices of those who decided they would not go down without a fight.  They would fight for right as long as they had breath.  Heroes all!

Would this be the end?  Four tragedies, one after another.  Was this it?  Or were there more attacks to come?  What were we supposed to do?

And, I called Don again and he said, Go”.  I asked Pop, and he said, ” Go on with what you need to do.”  I asked Joy what she wanted to do.  She said we needed to go on.  I called the Clinic in Birmingham and asked if they were still seeing patients.  The receptionist said,”Of course we are.”  So off we went.

And even though there was no danger here in South AL., we didn’t know that.  And what we did know was that there had already been 4 attacks, and the President said we were “Under attack.”  So, it took a great deal of courage for us to drive 200 miles north to the largest city in AL.  But, we did.

Joy and I always liked to stay at a certain hotel in Birmingham.  It was the one that was connected to the  big Galleria mall.  Usually, Don would say ‘no’ because it was too expensive.  It was very convenient for us because Alex could stay in the room and we could easily check on him.  Plus, we could take our heavy packages to the room while shopping.  The last time I made reservations, Don had said we could stay there.  And, that time was this time.

We went on to our appointment, and noticed that quite a few of the individual doctors offices were closed. The parking deck for the clinic was as empty as I have ever seen it.   There was very little traffic on the road, and according to the radio…there were no rooms available in the city.  Travelers on planes were forced to find a room and stay in the city.    Those who travelled by car throughout the state on business had to get off the roads.    Thankfully we had a reservation.  We made it to the room…got Alex settled…and went into the Galleria.  We really didn’t feel like shopping, and we wanted to get to the television and see what was happening.   Every single store and food vendor was either closed or closing by 6:00, due to the early curfew.   We did manage to find some food available.  We got it to go…and we spent our evening in the room…watching the TV…and thinking that we really wished we were home.

We got up early the next morning, and headed to Dothan.  Things were moving a little more and we were able to find some food at Mc D. and gas for the car.  We turned toward Dothan and didn’t stop till we got here.  For several days, every one was glued to the TV…and no one went anywhere they didn’t have to go.

But, 3 days later…Don had a meeting to attend in California.  He had already made his flight reservation before 9/11.  He went to the airport and got on the plane and flew to California.  I tried to talk him out of it, but he said, “Life is happening all the time.  If God is ready for me…I’m ready for Him.  If not, then He will protect me.”  And off he flew.  And, home he came.

And, we all changed that day.  We learned things we never knew before.  It brought a new and different fear into our lives.  We now knew what ‘UNDER ATTACK’ meant.  And, we were taught to always be cautious and to look at others with a suspicious eye.  And forever we were different.  And, that is NOT a good thing.

God Bless America

————————————————————————–

I tried to write the preceding without too much opinion…but, I feel compelled to add the following observations:  Personally, I was very thankful there was a man the caliber of George Bush leading us at this time.  I trusted him and I knew he trusted God.  There was always such talk that he did too much of this or not enough of that, he did this well, but really messed up in that.  My feeling is this…he was the first president in modern times to deal with war coming right into our streets from such vile terrorists.  No one had given him a handbook to study.  He and his advisers figured it out…put safeguards in place…and kept us safe.  He did a masterful job, if you ask me.

I also thought Rudy Giuliani was a leader who showed a heart of compassion and a leadership skill that rallied the whole of NYC…and impressed the whole country.

I am flabbergasted by airline travelers who are raising such a ruckus over screening procedures these days.  What part of ‘this is for your own benefit’ can they not understand?  They get better screening procedures and the women yell, ‘they can see my boobs on that machine!’  Well big WOO!.  I don’t care if they can see my boobs…I certainly wouldn’t be flashing them in public…but, if the woman before me had some sort of weapon taped under her boobage…I would sure hope they could see that, too.  Frankly, I feel the x-ray machine operator who is reading the scan cares very little about any body part…he’s too busy looking for explosives and the like.  It’s a job, people.   I imagine after you see thousands in a day, they kind of lose their appeal…(at least while on the job.)  While I’ve flown enough to get a mite aggravated at the shoes off and the opening of my suitcases and looking through everything…touching my stuff and getting it out of order…even getting patted down—I would not dare open my mouth to complain!  In fact, I go out of my way to say ‘thank-you’ to those officers I come in contact with.  Once when Alex had to go through with his wheelchair, they practically took the whole thing apart, and then didn’t know how to get it back together.  They kept wanting him to stand for the pat down and he kept falling, which didn’t please them.  We finally got them to understand that he had to hold on to something to stand still.  Then, his shoes had to come off…and sox…which took about 15 minutes to get all back on.  BUT…all that was to be sure that all the other people traveling that day were safe.  I must not complain about our inconvenience, when others are being inconvenienced as well.  So, travelers..whatever they throw at us, as far as safety precautions…JUST DO IT!  Don’t make snide remarks and bang around making the rest of us uncomfortable…JUST DO WHAT THEY ASK…..OR TAKE A BUS!  I actually think they should just kindly escort those who complain and act the fool, out the door to a waiting bus and drop them off at the Greyhound Bus Station!

TV has been saturated with coverage of the 9/11 anniversary for the past few days, but especially today (Sun. 9/11/11).  I have watched some of it and have learned some very interesting things.   I really do not see how the powers that be can find anything else to cover about this tragedy.  There have been shows about every facet of this event…there just can not be anything else that is not known.  But, of course, I know there could be.  It still angers me when I think of what ordinary people had to endure at the hands of these terrorists.  It is inhuman.  And, they will pay.  Nothing is hidden from our Lord.

So, are the big news stories and the deaths of famous people images that stay with us for a lifetime?  Do you remember where you were when you heard about the deaths of Martin Luther King, or President Kennedy, the moon landing or  the Challenger disaster or Princess Diana, or 9/11?  Here are a few of my thoughts and memories of these events.  These were actually the ones I could recall…so I guess these were the only ones that impacted me.

 NOVEMBER  1963

I was 10 years old and in either 3rd or 4th grade at Grandview Elementary School here in Dothan.  This was before much technology was available in the schools, but my Mom had been PTA president and the PTA had bought a TV for each classroom.  In the mornings, we would do a handwriting exercise with a teacher on the AL Public TV station.  But, that was about all we would use it because there were not even VCR’s then.  But, our principal, Mrs. Ruby Cherry, (who just loved my Mom and told her every little thing I ever did) came hurrying into the room and told the teacher to turn the television on right away, and fix it so the children could watch.  But, she didn’t say why.  My teacher did as she was asked, and the news came on about the shooting.  We watched the rest of the day.  The teachers were all undone and had very worried looks on their faces.  I do not think we really understood the importance of what had happened.  I mean, we were only 10.  Do the children who are 10 years old these days have a better grasp of world events?  Do they understand more about the unsettling events that are happening around us?  That was still a time of innocence for us.  But, we watched that TV for days…until he was buried.  And then some.  It was over our heads, really.  I remember my teachers saying, when we would ask to do something else, “Don’t you realize that you are watching HISTORY?   This will be in all the history books, and you can see it happening!”  Mrs. Cherry, the principal,(who just loved my Mom and never let me get away with anything)  said to me, “I am so thankful your Mom and the PTA got us those TV’s!”  And, that made me proud.  Because of Mom, I watched history happening…even if I wasn’t  really thankful until years later.

APRIL 1968

I remember Martin Luther King, Jr. as a man who fought for civil rights.   I lived in the South, and all this racial unrest was happening all around me.  It always made me feel uneasy.  But, at my age, I really did not have a good grasp on what all this really meant.  Perhaps I led a sheltered life in this respect. I knew lots of ‘colored people’, and I thought they were just like me except their skin was darker.  I didn’t know why there was a problem.  We had a wonderful lady who worked for us and Joy and I loved her.  She was an honored guest at my wedding.   I knew about the march in Selma, AL in 1965.  And, I knew Rev. King’s death was very tragic.  He died in a motel room balcony in  Memphis, Tenn., from an assassin’s bullet.  He promoted non-violence, and I remember thinking how sad it was that he was killed in such a violent manner.  I also remember seeing pictures of his wife and family as they mourned his loss.  Even though it all wasn’t clear in my mind, I remember feeling very sad…very sad.

JULY 1969

I do not remember much leading up to this mission, though I am sure there must have been lots of press about it.  My boyfriend, Donald, graduated from high school that year and there was so much going on…you know…prom, baccalaureate, graduation, parties, him leaving for college, etc.  [And, actually, no authority figure in my life told me to sit down and pay attention to the news because I could be watching history.  And, I can for sure say that it was in the history books the next year!]  So…how was I to know? Here’s what I do remember:  I was over at Don’s house, and we were going out to eat.  We were waiting on his mother to iron a shirt for him to wear.  His dad was in the den, and was quite engrossed in the program.  He shouted, “Y’all come in here and watch this.” So, we did.  And, we watched as Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon’s surface.  We watched for a little while, and then we saw him put out a flag.

I saw this and remember thinking that this was probably a ‘big deal’…but, our friends were waiting for us, so we had to go.  Oh, well.  Priorities, people!  Come on now, you were probably the same way if you were 16!  But, I had plenty of time to watch it happening again…because they played it over and over and over for days!  I did think of this, I remember….as we walked out to the car to leave his house, we looked up at the moon and it just did not seem possible that real human people could be walking on that same moon!  Then Don took that opportunity to give me a quick kiss and there went that thought!

It wasn’t long before there began to be talk around town that it was all a hoax.  Now, let me be perfectly honest.  I live in the deep South…real deep.  There’s lots of ‘good ole boys’ and (I don’t know how to say this in any other nicer way,) and they know what they know and that’s all they know…or want to know.  God love ’em.  And if they thought it didn’t happen…well…it didn’t. And me or you or the government or the President would not convince them it really did. And they told the ‘good ole girls, and the ‘good ole kids’…and thus, it was written.  Bless their little hearts.  Actually,  it was talked about all over the country, not just around these parts.  I guess that means there are ‘good ole folks’ all over!  God bless us all!

I wasn’t friends with those ‘good ole folks’ and I could read all the information.  And, this little 10th grader, worried about parties, and boyfriends, and cute clothes knew enough to know that it was for real!  Even if she didn’t recognize it as ‘historical’ at the time!

JANUARY 1986

Again with the space travel!  But, this time, I was better able to appreciate the fact that a mere mortal…a school teacher, was going up into space with the astronauts.  Now this captured the attention of the world. Here I thought it took years and years of training and probably tons of math…and now they say they can pick Mrs. Ordinary Teacher and in 8 months, teach her to go into space.  WOW!  I couldn’t even learn geometry in 2 years!!

What smart PR by NASA.  Everyone, even down to the youngest school child,was preparing to watch the launch and then watch Mrs. McAuliff’s lessons from space. School children everywhere were watching at school.  Forty eight percent of all school children were watching the launch!  She had a family…husband and children, siblings and parents.  They were all there to watch.  There was almost a festival atmosphere.  When the whole team came walking out together, and waved, and walked to the craft…there was such an air of excitement.  I remember sitting at home and watching in the hours that led up to the launch.  I saw her parents and family escorted to a seat of honor with the best view available.  And, the countdown began, and the launch began.  And at 73 seconds into the flight…disaster.

I remember seeing the face of McAuliff’s mother and father as they watched the shuttle with their daughter inside.  This was grief fully exposed.  It was horrible.

There were reports and commissions and inquiries and guesses at the reasons this happened.  I just reread the report on Wikipedia, because I had forgotten a lot of the details.  The memories of the explosion and before are still vivid, however.  My boys came in from school as I was watching, eager to tell me what they had seen, as well.  We sat and watched together for a long time.  I told them,” You are watching history unfold.  This will be in your next history books.”  And, it was.

The final reports said that the Challenger should never have taken off in the extreme cold.  The O-rings failed.  But, the major cause, reports said, was the failure of those in charge to properly relay information that was crucial to the safety of the missions.  Human Error!  The reports also said that, at least some, and probably all, of the astronauts, were alive when the cockpit hit the ocean. That was and still is a horrible thing to think about.  The remains of all the astronauts were found in the intact capsule on the ocean floor, and all were buried.  The American flag aboard the flight was also recovered.

The most vivid memories…the crew walking to the ship…the face of McAuliff’s parents…and the words of President Reagan as he said, “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of Earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’

TO BE CONTINUED…..

One day, I will have a beach house.

I am blessed to live in south AL which is next to North FL. The beach we usually go to is Panama City Beach.
which is about 80 miles away.Then there is Destin, a little more upscale, but equally as beautiful. I swear, when I cross the state line from AL to FL, I can begin to feel the pull of the beach. Even the dirt looks different…there is sand mixed into it–stretching the shore of the great ocean as far as possible.

This is my great desire. I want to lay my head down for as long as I choose in my own beach house. I do
not want to stay in a motel and have to check out by noon. I do not want to pack my clothes in a suitcase
to take home. I want to wait until I’m good and ready to leave. I want a place to leave my clothes, so
when I come back, my softest shorts and loosest top and my old flip-flops are there and waiting for
me–like old friends.

It seems easier to make plans and talk of the future when we are staring at a far horizon with endless
waves in front of it. Tomorrow seems very far away. It is easier to talk of insignificant things. They
can just fly away on the wind, if need be. It is easier to just be together without saying a word–both
listening to the roar of the waves and the calling of the gulls…..minds full of things to say…..but
not wanting to stop the concert going on around us.

It’s alot about the water which surrounds you wherever you may find yourself. It’s not at all like a dip in the
pool…which starts and ends…you get in and you get out and you walk away, without so much as a
thought, until you want to dive in again. But, the ocean is different…it surrounds you with itself.
Through the windows of the shops and the balconies of the hotels, or the open-air decks of the
restaurants, the ocean glistens in the distance. You can’t escape if you are anywhere near. As you drive,
and if you need to look at a map, there is a curved piece of white land and then lots of
blue to indicate where the land stops and the ocean begins.. i like to be just that close to the blue.
I can breathe here…and think. But, not just think–think through. Is it the cool wind that blows
that clears my mind? Or does the sun just bake my cares away? Mystery, that.

There is the sand. Most beaches do not have this kind of sand. Not even on my beloved Maui. The sand
there is more akin to dirt…brownish dirt…with sticks in it. But, here in Florida, along the Emerald
Coast, it’s different. Here the sand is white, and its texture is like fine sugar. It is so soft and
flies on the breeze like a powder. It is soft…and squishy to walk on…until it gets wet…then it is
rock hard. You can walk and walk and walk on this wet sand as you stroll near the breaking waves. Piers
and hotels and sandcastles fade from view as you walk. And when you stop…you can’t believe how
far you’ve traveled. When you return and take a shower for the day…you will notice how soft and smooth
your feet are. Great exfoliator, this sand!

It will not matter what kind of place I can find. The outside may look forlorn and the furniture may be a
little shabby. (That’s chic, you know). The floor boards may creak and the walls may be in need of paint.
Matters not. For the show is outside. Inside is the place that holds your belongings…of which you
need little. Inside holds a bed for sleeping. But, it’s outside where the beach ‘happens’. Outside is where
the beauty is.  Outside is where the air is full of salt and spray. Outside is where the Creator sketches
and paints another masterpiece in the sky each evening. Each is more beautiful than the last. Outside is
where the breeze is like no other. For this wind comes from far away places…far across the sea…far
beyond the horizon. And, whispered into this wind are the dreams and hopes and wishes and prayers that
are made by millions just like me. And, they are blown first to this shore and then to that. Listen!
You can almost hear them! Feel free to add your own…it never fills up.

My little cottage…oh, how I’ll fix that little place up! I’ll bring in driftwood and shells…lots of shells. And, the ones that have little holes in them will be strung to make huge mobiles that I’ll hang from the ceilings. Maybe I’ll find some of those colored glass balls that wash ashore at times. And, there will be art. Beautiful pictures taken of beaches around the world…some made by me. Because, surely this feeling I feel is felt by women elsewhere. This wanting a place to escape to…a place of clean air and cool sand and the sound of waves…it has to be a universal desire…there are beaches and oceans and people the world over. Surely they are all dreamt over.

This sea is vast….and this wind goes on forever. And, this sunshine bakes it all to just the right doneness
so it is perfection for whomever comes to walk its sandy shore and wet their toes in the waves as they lap
at the shore. The sea….it is miraculous!

Oh, don’t be sad, sweet Maui. You own my soul. You are the place I am the most alive. My love for you
is still true…even if your sand is not the best. But, let’s be honest here. Even dreams need to have
a little dose of reality. The chances of my ever living on YOUR shores are very, very slim. I do not
ever think it could happen. But, it could be possible for me to have a shanty in FL. Not likely…but
closer to reality. So, I’ll dream in possibilities and promise to visit you, sweet Maui, as often as is
possible.

One day, I will have a beach house…and I shall be content.