Today, I celebrate another birthday … seems a perfect time to reflect on past birthdays…
6 years old .. 1st grade, actually started school at 5 … Mom told me she sent me to school, expecting any day to be told I was too young, but I was a big boy and guess they allowed me to continue … Enjoyed my new friends, lunch time, but did not appreciate taking a nap after lunch … We had old newspapers and were told to take a nap on the floor … and our teacher observed … Not sure what I learned from that, except I was not in control…
16 years old … I had departed the tobacco patch and actually had a couple of years experience at Hinson’s Super Market in Bladenboro, thanks to J.Z. and Sally Hinson … I walked from school to Hinson’s early each day, worked for a while and walked home, about 3 or 4 miles … in the winter time, in the dark … Now 16, but no cash, JZ signed a note at the bank for $200 and I purchased a ’47 Chevy, and paid the loan off, weekly.
At about 20 years of age, I began school … Carolina School of Broadcasting in Charlotte. By then had a ’55 Chevrolet, ’bout worn out, yellow and white, moon hubcaps and a whip antenna … I had a good time, survived, had fallen in love with my bride-to-be … Eventually, departed school and married and began working at Top Mode MFG in Elizabethtown and at WBLA on weekends (later worked full-time at WBLA and commuted to Charlotte on weekends to complete school)
One child, later another and it all became a blurrr … It was one birthday after another … Eventually, began traveling the state, growing older, faster. Retired at 68, and started BladenOnline…
How many years is that? … This is my 82nd thank you, pace has slowed but still moving, hopefully forward … Make sure … 2020, subtract 1938 equals 82…
I know, you didn’t need for me to share, but I needed to share…
Life has been good and continues to be … What I learned best, hopefully … All you need to know about life is not found in a book, but that is important…
I like birthdays, but I think too many can kill you.
Why are birthday’s good for you? Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.
The best way to remember your wife’s birthday is to forget it once.
robert g hester
rgh4612@gmail.com
910-876-2322
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