800

This is my eight-hundredth story. I knew I had a few dozen in me when I started but didn’t contemplate writing eight hundred.  I’ve made some profound life statements as I celebrated each centennial.  If you’ve been following me from the beginning, you’ve read them all.  I included 500 Chunks in the book I published. That was my five-hundredth story.  If you didn’t buy the book, you can find it on my blog site ihaveastoryforyou.net.   It’s a short post that summarizes what I believe to be true for all of us.

Writing helps me occupy a few hours each week.  When I retired, I wanted a hobby to look forward to each day.  This is it.

Some of you comment or “like” my posts.  That keeps me writing too.  About a hundred and fifty of you get a story emailed to you.  Others read through a Facebook page.  I wish you’d go directly to the site every once in a while, because there’s more to see and if you click on the audio link you can listen to some stories.

When I go to book talks about Pondering Life’s Lessons, I make the following observations.  My stories are no different than yours.  I’m just writing mine down.  Some of you have actually confirmed my belief.  That’s a bonus for me.  I didn’t think about it until it started to happen.

In the beginning, I set Sunday and Wednesday as target dates for each story.  Having a deadline ensured I’d follow through.  I missed three dates in 2019 when Ruth was ill and added an extra post in 2021 when Young Jackson James was born.  I don’t mean to double up by retelling the same tale, but after eight hundred stories, I’m sure I’ve retold different versions of the same story on more than one occasion.  Thanks for your patience.

I thought about taking a break when Ruth died, but Michael and David said, “No.  You’ve got to keep going.”  The three of us shared a fifth of Buffalo Trace Bourbon during that conversation but I don’t think their directive was alcohol induced.  They just thought that it was important for me to keep on keepin on. 

I haven’t missed a deadline, but I’ve had to think twice before posting some stories.  Ruth was my censor. Without her to help me make those important decisions, I’ve done my best to move forward on my own.  If I’ve offended you, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.  It’s never my intent but I know it’s possible.

I published my most important story on July 10, 2018.  Coincidently, it’s called The Most Important Lesson of My Life.  It’s about my son Michael and me.   I updated the original version in July of 2023. You can click on the audio version of the story below.    

Two more years have passed since I updated the story.  I can update it every year, but the moral will always be the same.  There’s more good in my life than bad.  I hope each of you can say the same.

As I move forward, I’m thinking about modifying what I post each week.  I’ll let you know if I change things up.  If I do, they’ll be more audio. I’ve learned that life changes.  Nothing is truly forever.  But for now, I’ll keep writing and I hope you keep reading.