Turn! Turn! Turn!

First, Happy Valentines Day.  Check out my short story in the new "Timeless" anthology from Cool Well Press (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00770CUN6)

The words for The Byrds big hit song were adapted from the Bible, out of the The Book of Ecclesiastes.

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

And the words continue with perfection.  Why am I mentioning this?  Simple.  We live our lives, we do certain things and we, either out of anger or love, wish for other actions.

As a parent, have you ever said the words "I can't wait for you to grow up and move out!" Or on that long trip to work made a passing comment to the effect of "I can't wait until I'm retired."

And a time to every purpose under Heaven.

I have a friend who said those words to his children years ago.  I also heard a person who is 37 say he couldn't wait to retire.

Life is but a fleeting moment.  The older you get, the more you realize just how fleeting.  Remember when you were a small child and how long those summer breaks from school were?  Trust me, those summer months seem to be but a blink of the eye today.

Oh I'm not some great sage or soothsayer of wisdom.  I am but a mere man who has retired and now sees the truth of his own mortality.

Each day passes, each one faster than the last.  It seems but a few years ago I was getting married and having a family.  Retirement was many years into the future.  In fact, I remember a fourth grade assignment in math -- we needed to calculate what year we would turn 65 and be eligible for retirement.  For me it would be 2011.  Back in the mid-fifties that seemed so very far away.  In fact, it was a lifetime away.  It is now 2012; I've been retired for over five years and have had the time to reflect back on my life to some extent.

Hold onto your children for when they do leave the home, they will be busy working toward their retirement and you'll want them to visit but they won't have the time. Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle" song has a lot of truth within the words.

As to retirement.  I highly suggest you make it a road of enjoyment, taking each day to the fullest extent you can. 

Now some may wonder why I am discussing retirement and children.  You are a writer and a writer puts to words those things which are inside his or her head; the memories.  Memories help expand the imagination. Writers write what they know and what you know are memories.

So, until you can retire -- enjoy each day to the fullest... for once it is gone, it is only a memory and if you didn't make a memory that day; it truly is lost forever.
And when you do retire and think you have all the time in the world to write -- you'll discover the fallacy there, too.  Retirement falls into two categories.  Those who sit on the porch and watch with the theory there is always tomorrow OR those who are busy doing things.  I'm a doer - I garden, I travel, I spend time with my grandkids and truthfully, have a difficult time finding the time to write but I somehow manage.  I have my memories, having enjoyed most days on my journey to retirement.  I am sure there are days I lost but they are far and few. And those really horrendous days where I wanted to just toss in the hat; surprisingly, they don't seem quite so bad today.

I don't plan to leave this mortal existence with a body in fair repair -- I plan to beat the crap out of it enjoying each day to the fullest and when people look at me they'll say "He lived."

So again I say -- enjoy today, make it a memory and suddenly you'll wake up one day and the children will be gone and a few days later, you'll be retired.  Until then -- embrace life.

And lest I forget...

Order a signed copy of the paperback book from www.bobnailor.com/book_2012.php and I will send you a coupon for a FREE ecopy of my novel "Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold."

Order a copy of the paperback book from http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982477708 (forward me a copy of the sales receipt to "bob AT bobnailor.com" - get a coupon for a FREE copy, as above.

Order an electronic copy of the book from http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005VGO3VU (forward me a copy of the sales receipt to "bob AT bobnailor.com" - get a 50% off coupon of "Three Steps"

This offer is for a limited time only; good until Feb 26, 2012; the coupon is good through Feb 29, 2012.

Now exactly what is "2012: Timeline Apocalypse" about? Obviously it entails the end of time, the Mayan calendar, Mayan gods and enough twists to keep you guessing who is who and what is what and why it is all happening. Do you actually want me to tell you the end? Of course not, but I will tell you this. If you saw the movie "2012" -- well, my book ain't nothing like that!! Let me put it this way -- Kulkukan will shake his tail and the ground will shake. We only think we know what ancient artifacts are; it isn't until we find their true use that all things become clear.

Until next I ramble on...