I’m satisfied with my times

Published 8:13 pm Tuesday, January 27, 2015

If life is symbolically divided into the months with January being the beginning and December the ending, I am pretty sure it’s not March for me. I would be ecstatic if it were August or September and a little disappointed if Christmas is right around the corner. Anyway, I am satisfied with the times in which I have lived and hoping for a lot more.

What got me to thinking about what time it is in my life? Movies, radio, and television; those marvelous media outlets that entertain us as we drive around or watch after we have put in a good day’s work.

We listen to songs and singers we like. We go to movies with actors and stories that interest us and have our television series that we look forward to. Or, at least we used to do those things.

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My car radio was tuned to the country music station, but the songs just didn’t do anything for me. Song after song, it was the same thing. There were lots of good-ole boys and girls, lots of pick-up trucks, and lots of beer and whiskey. The music was rocking and loud.

I looked at my radio and threw up my hands. Where is Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard? Where is Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, or George Jones?

Then I said to myself, “Calm down, Lynn. Your day has passed. They aren’t playing these songs for you. You had your day. You enjoyed it and thank the Lord that you know all about Marty Robbins and ‘El Paso’ or Jimmy Dean and ‘Big, Bad John.’”

Every now and then, Donna Sue and I go to a movie. I’m looking forward to seeing “American Sniper.” If you still go to the movies, you’ll know that experience has changed as well as the movies that are shown. There is no more entrance, popcorn and coke, plus a little candy that can be bought with a dollar.

The previews and shows themselves are loud and cutting between scenes is so fast. Once again, as on the car radio, there is huge volume. Are we becoming hard of hearing? If not before the show, you will be after it!

Previews are meant to entice but, usually, there are no movies that would bring me back. I want to acknowledge that the movies we see are okay or good, but we still only go once or twice a year. If Hollywood or the movie industry depended upon my dollar, they would be struggling more than they are.

But, they’re not making movies for me anymore. No complaint, I had my day. I saw Clint Eastwood when he was young. The same goes for Paul Newman as “Cool Hand Luke.” I saw “Planet of the Apes,” the original, with Charlton Heston and don’t need to see the “Return of the Return of the Planet!”

The movies of my day are in the $5.00 bin at Walmart or can be ordered on Amazon. Except for the occasional, my days at the movies are past.

Television? Don’t even go there!

My point is this. I’m not a whiner although it may seem that way. I’m satisfied with my time. I don’t begrudge the younger folks having their songs and shows. Have at it, I say. I just hope that they are having as much fun as I had when I had mine.