Thanks Fruita, We now have LAND!

In case you are not aware of the Grand Valley Zoological Quest, we are a non-profit on the Western Slope of Colorado.
We now have property, real estate, or a piece of land to start building our nature zoological center, phase 1, a.k.a. "A Rainforest" complete with birds, plants, retiles, aquarium, stingray stream, and other yet-to-benamed critters that are known to live in the rainforest.

Thanks go out to the City of Fruita for approving such a site.
More thanks to our Director, Board Members, Volunteers and their families.
Big thanks to our business sponsors, our grant givers, donors, and the many people who have gone to our events, gone through our petting zoo activities, and to the people liked us on FaceBook.

Protecting our Schools after Sandy Hook, CT

A high school friend on Facebook asked me my thoughts on having armed police in the halls of our school. He was expecting a short, quick response about his recommendation for not arming the teachers and administrators, but the use of Tazers. This was my long thoughts:

I too am opposed to arming teachers and school employees, but since violence, disrespect, weapons, etc. have come into our schools via outsiders, students and parents, schools need protection.

You asked my thoughts, and I have a lot of them. I do think people overall need education and training in respecting guns or weapons of any kind, and the laws concerning them. After all, It is the knowledge and attitude of the person who uses them, whether for good or evil.

We have fire drills, lock-down practice, some schools have metal detectors at the doors, and even individual pat-downs for weapons. We have police come on campus to remove violent or law-breaking students--even at the middle school level in the 21 Century, so why not consider having a trained officer on duty in the school for protection when needed or to be an authority of respect the laws of the life, liberty and the land.                                

Remember at all school shootings teachers and principals died or were wounded protecting their kids. Arming them with guns or Tasers might have been some differences, but the killers had the element of surprise and an arsenal prepared when they planned and went into the school grounds. 

Obama had two good recommendations for protecting our children, but the problem is not banning guns. 1) Give more money to hire police officers to be visible in the schools, and 2) hire more counselors to work with mental health concerns in youth, community and the victims in the any tragedy.

I think it is a tragedy that government cut education monies for teachers, books and supplies, but they can come up with millions for protection of our precious children. But that is another thoughtful discussion.                                                                              

Crabby Old Man poem

The title of my blog is "Writing Becomes You" because I believe that every writer, especially me, is impacted and impacts others whenever he/she/they write.

I came across this piece of writing on FaceBook today; it is the perfect example of my belief and my blog title.

Read and Share this man's writings from his heart.

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home
in North Platte , Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions,
they found this poem.. Its quality and content so impressed the
staff that copies were made and distributed to every
nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Missouri .

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in
the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association
for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been
made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world,
is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet..


Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . . .. . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . When you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . . . . . Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . With faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . And makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . . The things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . .. Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . You're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . As I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .. . . . With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . Who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . . With wings on his feet..
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . A lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . My heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . .. That I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . . . . Have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . To see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . .. . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . Shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . Young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . . . And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . . And nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . .. . Look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . Grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . .. . . Where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . A young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . My battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . .. . Life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . Gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . That nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . Open and see.
Not a crabby old man . . . Look closer . . . See ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet

An older person who you might brush aside

Without looking at the young soul within.

We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM

The best and most beautiful things of

This world can't be seen or touched.

They must be felt by the heart.

 — with Sandra Snider and Denise Matthews

Important Birthdays--My Son's & Elvis'

      Yesterday was Elvis Presley's birthday. Today is my son's 34th birthday.
      So close that the family celebrates both birthdays for various funny reasons.

1) My mother "luved" Elvis and anything about him. So when Justin was born she was disappointed that, "My grandson couldn't have been born on Elvis' birthday. We'll just celebrate it a day early." So we did. He always got his presents and a party a day early when he was a kid. He probably thought that the radio stations and tv shows ran marathons of Elvis music, movies and documentaries just for celebration of his birth date.
      That is, until former President Richard M. Nixon died in 1994. The family was shocked that Jan. 9th was his and Justin's birth date. It took some of the glow off the day for our 15-year-old.

2) We continued on celebrating more Justin's real day than Elvis' or Nixon's, especially since Mom died in 1996. She had collected so much Elvis stuff, and I gathered a few items to keep as memories. She had owned three of his original Sun label 45 rpm records, but my younger brother had already stolen them and sold them sometime before 1977 when Elvis died. But she had 8 Track recordings and even a portable 8 track player; that was the only big item, even though she had taken my daughter to Graceland one summer. As far as I know the pictures, other paper items and mementoes were taken by her sisters, friends or the evil 2nd wife that my dad married later.

3) As Justin grew older, he moved away from sharing the Elvis birthday idea, until he moved to Seattle. There he met, fell in love and married a young woman who "luvs" Elvis and thinks my son looks so much like the young rock star. Justin began growing out his hair and sideburns during the first year of marriage. At Halloween they sent photos of him looking amazingly like a young Elvis Presley come alive again.

The collection and attraction of Elvis materials has grown some-what overpowering to my son, but my daughter-in-law still keeps collecting and celebrating Elvis' and Justin's birthdays, Jan. 8 and 9.
And they are not the only ones.
If you do, or know someone who does, give me a contact and let me know about it. Thanks.

Wisdom for Growing Old

Going through my writing files I found this great essay about "Growing Older." I enjoyed it years ago when I first received it, but I checked the author’s identity. Good thing I did.

    Regina Brett is not 90 years old, and she wrote 50 lessons in her original article in 2006 because she had just turned 50. I’m resubmitting 45 Lessons words of wisdom.

Regina Brett, 56 years old writer for The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, wrote this in 2006 when she turned 50,

 "To celebrate growing older, I wrote these 50 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. "

1) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2) When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3) Life is too short to waste time hating any one.

4) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5) Pay off your credit cards every month.

6) You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7). Cry with someone. It is more healing that crying alone.

8) It is OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9) Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10) Love your parents because they will be gone before you know it.

11) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12) It is OK to let your children see you cry.

13) Don't compare your life to others'. . . You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14) If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15) Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16) Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18) Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19) It is never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20) When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21) Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22) Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23) Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24) The most important sex organ is the brain.

25) No one is in charge of your happiness, but you.

26) Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27) Always choose life.

28) Forgive everyone everything.

29) What other people think of you is none of your business.

30) Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31) However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your Friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

33) Believe in miracles.

34) God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35) Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36) Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37) Your children get only one childhood.

38) All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39) Get outside every dy. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40) If we threw all our problems in a pile and say everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42) The best is yet to come.

43) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44) Yield.

45) Life isn't tied with a bow, but it is still a gift.

I'm late for a meeting, so I will edit and resubmit the entire 50 later today.

Wherever you go, There you are.

        Back home after spending the month of December in Texas, I found this quote by Mary Englebrite that always makes me smile, and think.
        2012 was a different kind of Christmas; good, but unique. Then I remembered--each of our Christmases was not the same.
        Sure we had similar traditions: being with family, the decorated tree, opening presents on Christmas Eve (that's a whole other story), special moments that made that year unforgettable. But this year we were not at our house, not in our familiar surroundings creating traditions with half of our kids and grandchildren.
       Yet, like everything else in life--Christmas happened--Life goes on.
       "Wherever you go, there you are."
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