Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12)1969, 43 years ago. I had a lot happen that year. As far as times of your life go, it was just about the best – or at least part of it was. It was the year I turned 20.
I started the year off working for Galveston County doing various things. One of these things was seeding the seawall. There were other things I truly do not remember, but it was a good job. I was out in the sun and the guys I worked with seemed to like me, even though they were all older men, or at least older than I was.
I was looking at trying to get a job with the Telephone Company and went several times for the hiring process to downtown Houston at the main office at 3100 Main.
In February, I went to a big youth thing at the Pecan Park Church of Christ. There were kids from all over Houston there. It was part of a gospel meeting and it was youth night. That meant that it was the night for the visiting evangelist to holler at the kids instead of the adults.
Afterwards, as at all of the youth things we had in Houston, everybody went somewhere to do something. Sometimes it was Putt Putt Golf or skating. That night it was bowling at Pasadena Lanes.
My little brother, Gerald was with me and we went almost all over Houston trying to find the place. I almost gave up when I saw it.
That night I met the girl I would marry a little less than two years later. I saw her again a month later at a big youth gathering in Clear Lake City south of Houston and again a short while later at a concert at her church.
A couple of weeks later my job came through and I moved to Houston and got an apartment. And we began dating seriously.
The summer was a fun one. I had a great job that I liked – taking money out of pay phones, one which took me all over Houston to every conceivable business – I had an apartment and I had a girl-friend.
However, I also had a government and in July I got my draft notice and went in on August 13th.
The year ended with basic training, out of which I came in such phenomenal condition, the like of which I have never been again.
All in all, even with the army thing thrown in there, it was the best year of my life. I have had a couple since that were good, but that was the best.
But as good as it was, and as much as I remember it and, quite frankly, would go back to it in a minute, it is gone. It is in the past. And I cannot be living in the past thinking about how great things were 43 years ago.
I press on, I move forward, I go on toward God. And I look forward to more in him.
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