Post date: Jul 5, 2011 5:10:33 PM
Well today I turned 66 years old. Myself and many others thought that I would never live this long. Some hoped that I wouldn't, for they have had to put up with me for too many years. My mail last week included several birthday cards and those unwanted bills. However, what was most interesting, was the 3 letters I got from the Neptune Society, a local cremation service and a funeral planning service. Do they know something I don't ? I also got 2 letters from from insurance companies, trying to sell me life policies. How smart are they ? I wonder if any of the sports books at the casinos, have posted betting odds on which one it might be.
Was really impressed and a bit humbled by the number of you who responded by email and phone. Also appreciated sending my little message on to others letting them know of my present location and status. Was wonderful to feel that I wasn't a used pair of old socks stored away in an attic and of no real value or future use.
Was really amazed by the many comments about CHICKENS and their relations to me throughout my life. Here are just a few:
***Looked up your sign on the Chinese calendar and you are a "rooster". Apparently some things don't change and you are still as COCKY as ever.
***Remember JM, you raised those Easter chickens when young. You had that 11 pound rooster that your uncle killed and tried to get you and everyone to believe it was a "Thanksgiving turkey".
***You ate those 5 roasted chickens in less than an hour, just to win a bet.
***You always told us to be brave and not be chickensh..s , when trying to convince us to follow your different approaches to design or ways of thinking.
***Didn't you have the email address "chickenlips@aol.com ?
***Once you told a certain someone that they were like a chicken butt. All they did was put out a lot of crap and expected you and everybody to clean it up.
***Know you and the crew called me "Healthy" because of one of my attributes, but none of you ever shared the breasts with me when we went to Ken's Broasted Chicken to eat.
***I still don't know why you always laughed about "Frenchy's Congo Club and Chicken In The Box".
***What do you really have against chickens?
***I noticed in your video of Croatia, that you were proudly standing next to a tractor, in front of a store named Pevics, that had a chicken in it's logo. Do you gravitate to them or do they gravitate to you ?
***When you worked at Scharhag Architects it was always about "tuna salad". What's up with the chickens? Is this another on of your plots to have people discover hundreds of hidden chicken messages after you're gone?
***My favorite though, was a "birthday care package", that I received on Saturday. It included; "Peeps Marshmallow Chicks", "Mini Caramel Eggs", "A Can of Chicken of the Sea Albacore Tuna" and of course "A Carton of Kool Filtered Cigarettes".
One forgets about many of the skeletons in their closets. That's the good part about communicating, you find out something about me and I find out something about you.
This week's new installment is titled "On Travels Thru Life". It is 22" long x 8" wide x
11" high. On the bottom is the statement, "When young, we look at what we passed. When older, we look at the past".
Perhaps what I am doing through these new art pieces, is questioning my past experiences, the people involved in them and the effects that they had upon my life and others around me.
Our experiences, in a way, allow us to be a minor authority of life when we extend help or advice to others. The best and most experienced people in my life never demanded I do something, nor never let me not question what they were saying or expected me to be their cloned sheep. They always related real experiences, similar to my situation, they told me the consequences if I did one thing or the other. Most of these true friends and mentors always seemed to end our conversations by saying, "Do what you feel is right and best for you. Be honest, especially to yourself. Don't intentionally or maliciously hurt anyone. You will only end up hurting yourself. If things don't work out, we're still here for you and maybe we can help you figure out another way to get you where you want to go or be."
I am fortunate to have had a lot of you true friends and mentors throughout my life. You are all indeed a rare and vanishing species. I often feel extremely sad that in the existing social climate, the gap between the young and older generations is widening. More frustrating is that life's lessons are not being taught to be passed on to future generations. A personal experience or story is much easier and more important to pass on in time than an ipad, new dress or toy.
Enough for today. Til next week, smile!
JOHN MICHAEL
P.S. A question for one of you. What did you mean by, that I never lacked for words?
(To see photos of the above art piece "On Travels Thru Life", go to https://sites.google.com/site/jmdodigartphotos )