by Pat Ritter
Laura both touched the Anvil which Legend tells us gives good fortune in the affairs of the heart.
Word count: 340
Life At Ninety
In twenty-five years time I will be ninety years old – if I live so long. Twenty-five years ago I was forty. I compare my life aged forty to my present day, so much has changed.
At forty, I was married with two children. Presently I’m widowed, still with two children, including three grandchildren. My son’s thirty-seven years old whilst my daughter will turn forty next month.
Twenty-five years ago technology only seemed a dream. Computers crept into homes, motor vehicles installed with air-conditioning, interest rates over 18%.
Twenty-five years from now computers will be obsolete compared with today’s computers. Our eyes will guide us to focus on various technology advances. Vehicles of tomorrow, devoid of a steering wheel and peddles, only a joy stick. They’ll drive themselves with voice recognition.
People will be growing older because of medical breakthroughs. Replacement hearts will be a dime a dozen. Groceries stores will be forgotten like the present corner shop. Goods will be purchased on-line and delivered to your door by a floating delivery vehicle.
Probably Richard Branson will be living on Mars commuting to earth to oversee his organisations. Perhaps another planet will be discovered by then showing human life to share knowledge and experience between living creatures on planets.
By the time I reach the age of ninety technologies replace the pacemaker with a model which should last forever.
Books will be interesting. In the here and now e-books (electronic) are downloaded from the internet. At ninety how books will be read. I see in my mind’s eye a hologram of a book which displays a screen showing a story with actors.
Weekly I play lotto, my dream to win first prize. Imagine my numbers coming up on my ninetieth birthday. What would I do with the money if there will be such a domination in twenty-five years time.
On my ninetieth birthday, my wish is to be healthy and wise beyond my years.
Word count: 329
Life Is Just A Footnote To Reality
To my surprise I received a return e-mail from a dear friend who spoke of my life experiences and at the same time encouraged his e-mail contacts to forward the information on.
This friend highlighted events in my life which I’d almost forgotten, such as having a pacemaker implantation, being an alcoholic, reaching the heights in my profession. After reading these accolades my friend highlighted, this made me think of my life in general.
As far back as I remember life’s been one of fighting for what I want. Yes, mentors helped along the way, many times ‘doing it myself’; never once receiving praise or congratulations for these efforts from my loved ones.
I remember too well negative comments made by my father and close relatives pinpointing me ‘as an idiot.’
This badge of honour I wore with pride until almost forty years old I realised ‘I’m not taking this anymore. Who’s the idiot’?
This may’ve been the way things were done in the ‘good ole days’ to push young people to their limits by throwing negative comments to make them try harder.
Negativity became life and a footnote to reality of what became my future. I remember my sister’s wedding my father said, ‘you’re nothing but an idiot’ to my face. This comment hurt my feelings deep into my soul.
Each time any person praised what I didn’t understand what they meant. Were they having a go at me or not, not being used to being praised – I didn’t understand how to react.
Writing’s been the goose which laid the golden egg. Each time I write I share with my reader feelings, honesty, stories, and adventures of my life.
Now I need not worry about what other people think, I don’t need to carry the burden of negativity from others. It’s up to me to take on board what I want to believe and if I believe I’m a good person then so be it. I’m not an idiot as others would think but a good person who wants positive things to happen.
Word count: 410
Loopy Minds
What about the jockey thrown from the horse in the saddling enclosure before the running of the Melbourne Cup this year? Obviously the horse had a loopy mind.
As far back as I care to remember I’ve held a fascination for horses, particularly racehorses. I’ve been lucky enough to be associated with all kinds of horses, ranging from different breeds to the miniature horse.
The racehorse stands out in my mind as the one which ‘sets my blood boiling’ when they race. Through my teenage years my life spent near and around stables of racehorses. Saturday I attended race meetings because I loved horses racing. This period remains in my mind re-living the excitement of ‘waging’ a winner.
My dream to own a racehorse wouldn’t be realised until many years later. This dream came true after my wife purchased a colt from a thoroughbred horse breeder. This colt became our first racehorse.
Daily my wife trained him to a degree he won at his first start in a race. She possessed a gift for knowing horses. Myself I was thrilled to watch the horse race and win.
Around and around the track the horse worked to make me wonder if by looping the track as often as they did, didn’t give them ‘loopy minds’. What thoughts must’ve gone through their minds when they trotted around the same track day after day?
Years later my wife excelled in horse training to a degree she decided to ‘do everything herself’. She transferred to ‘Harness Racing’. This sport excelled her skills to such heights she tasted success at the major ‘Harness Racing Complex’ Albion Park, Brisbane.
Success became her mantra. She not only owned the horse, trained and also drove it in races competing against her male competitors. Actually on her first official drive in a race at Redcliffe Paceway she realised her dream by successfully winning the race owning, training and driving her own horse.
Having realised my dream of owning a racehorse plus over the many years of racing, owned, bred and raced many to success. There were many which didn’t make the mark to compete little wonder to win.
In the end my opinion stood with my thoughts of racehorses must experience a ‘loopy mind’ because of the times they loop the racetrack.
Word count: 388
Lucille
Before I began to write this story my research took me to a video clip of American country and western singer Kenny Rogers singing his song ‘Lucille’ before a live audience in Canada. Words and tone of the song resonated in my mind well after viewing the video. I enjoyed Kenny Rodgers singing this particular song I watched the clip a second time.
Each word told the story of a woman sitting at a bar having a whisky with a man she recently met. Kenny Rodger’s raspy voice told this story of looking in a mirror and saw a huge man with calloused hands walk up to the woman, look at her seated and said the words, ‘you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille, with four hungry children and a crop in the field, we’ve had some good times, worked through the bad times, this time the hurten won’t heal, you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille’.
Echoes of the words rung out amongst the audience joining Kenny Rodgers with the chorus, my throat thickened with pride; my heart beat a little faster when thinking of the story Kenny Rodgers sang. In my imagination a tall man, distressed, worried and confronted when his wife left him to be with another man.
I couldn’t help but think of how a person could write these lyrics and not have experienced the story of the song. Kenny Rodgers tone of a country and western raspy voice told this story extremely well which proves after thirty-six years the storyline’s popular today as in 1977. I think only he could’ve done the song justice.
For the next couple of days and nights this song repeated in my mind with visions of meaning to the words. Questions erupted in my mind when the song constantly ran over and over. I couldn’t get the tune or Kenny Rodgers voice from my head.
I shouldn’t worry about the words however for a re
ason unknown to me the words with the story kept repeating. I tried to think of other songs Kenny Rodgers sang, like ‘The Gambler’ – didn’t help, this song ‘Lucille’ encased in my mind repeated until I’d had enough.
A question repeated in my mind, ‘did Kenny Rodgers go through this relationship to sing from his heart?’ I don’t know.
Word count: 391
Magic Moment
All through my life I’ve experienced many magic moments including marriage, holding my first born child, publishing my first book, however I think the best magic moment began on a Friday afternoon when my boss tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘you worked as a detective – didn’t you?’
‘Yes – what’s this all about?’ I answered.
‘Go down and speak with the Inspector at Neighbourhood Watch. He wants to talk to you about a new programme for the Police Department. I recommended you.’ He walked away.
I visited the Inspector at Neighbourhood Watch, he handed me a video tape, ‘take this home. Start here Monday morning,’ he commanded pointed a finger toward the door.
The video tape – the birth of Crimestoppers, I