The Best of Times

I attended a birthday party for my high school football coach not too long ago.  I told you about that.  Attending were many of the football greats that he had coached.  Someone speculated that those high school football days were the best days of their life.

It caused me to start thinking.  What has been the "best of times" for me?  And what made it so?

I remember being in kindergarten (I really do!) and loving everything about it.  It was in the basement of the Methodist church and the crafts and teachers were wonderful.  Even then, I loved recess. 

When I was eleven, I remember loading up in my new Boy Scout uniform and heading off to Camp Buck Toms.  I thought that was the greatest thing ever.  I loved everything about it.  I failed the swimming test because I thought the lifeguard was telling me to stop so I stopped (even then, I was a rules follower).  I redeemed myself by winning one of the swimming competitions later. 

Thirteen was special.  At the time, I thought the world most surely revolved around me.  I was finally a teenager.  Girls.  Sports.  Band.  Hanging out with friends.  Surely that was the best of times.

But then I turned sixteen.  I could drive!  Oh. My.  Goodness.  I didn't think life could get any better.  I had an old jalopy (you might have to look that term up) that we paid $55 for but I didn't care.  It was my key to freedom.  Get in it.  Turn the ignition.  Drive to the A&W.

And football.  Football became the other center of my life (along with a little farm girl from Philadelphia).  And we won the state championship that year.   I didn't think life could get any better than that.

Then I went off to college.  When I talk to young folks today, I tell them that college will change them and change their life more dramatically than anything they had ever experienced.  Some thrive.  Many struggle.  Thanks to some important influences, I was one that thrived.

Oh I didn't do great at first.  I was more interested in football, girls, and having fun (see a trend here?).  But knee surgery helped me figure out life and ambitions. I finally "got" this college thing.  I started dating the girl of my dreams and knew almost immediately where I wanted my life to go.  The best of times?   Surely.

From then on, things seemed to blur.  Life has flown by.  Kids.  Career.  Grandkids.  Experiences and people and things that were beyond my wildest dreams.

I've heard both Coach George Quarles and Coach Gary Rankin tell their young charges after winning one of the many, many championships that they had won "don't let this be the best thing you ever do."

I left that birthday party thinking yeah, those were really great times.  And it was great to catch up with so many friends--friends that I hadn't seen or talked to in many years.  But was that really the best time in my life?

Yeah, it probably was.  But so was everything else in there.  All the experiences and adventures that have made up my life.   I'd like to think that today and every day is the best day of my life.  At least that's my goal when I wake up in the morning.

How about you?  What is going to be the best thing you ever do?