Give a Hug!

Thought:

If one can not hug and spread love and joy at church;
where can one hug and spread love and joy at?

In this sad cruel world where there are:
child molestations,
children being trafficked,
teen girls being stalked at school,
children in one parent families,
more and more latchkey kids,
and not to mention all the war and violence
it is no wonder why there is so much sorrow in the world.

Is not this good reason to give more hugs?
We all need a hug once and awhile.

I am a hugger and have always been;
it is how I spread love and joy.

But now we are going from one extreme to the next;
from allowing hugs to not allowing hugs.
Keeping space.

When someone comes up and hugs you,
am I supposed to push them off,
or do I put my one arm around them and hug them back?
(I walk with my cane and only hug with one arm anyway)

I feel that we should allow hugs,
but maybe with just one arm instead of two.
This is a happy medium and still spreads love and joy. 

So just "Give a Hug"! 

49th Birthday thoughts:

As I reflect back in the last 49 years of my life I realize that I have accomplished a lot.

I have made many mistakes, some bad decisions, and errors that I learned from.

I have made some good decisions as well that led to success.             

I have traveled the world; visited 56 countries and 114 or so ports of call with the Navy.

All and all I feel that my life was good.

I struggled a lot, always had to strive, but have succeeded.

I have been picked on, stepped on, brought down, but in the end came out strong.

I have a Saint Michael’s Medal that I believe has protected me from harm.

I have been wearing it for over 20 years. 

I have been to combat zones in Lebanon, Philippines, the Gulf, Iraq and Kuwait.

I have been to humanitarian operations in Africa.

The medal protected me from all of it;

ironically the day the medal came off is the day I was hurt.

It was the day I fell down the ladder well and was injured.

Stenosis to the spine, tendinitis in the right shoulder, damage to the right knee,

Tingling nerves down the right arm and in my fingers…

I found the medal part and put it back on with a key ring.

I know it will protect me from any more harm.

Now I just pray to my god Jehovah through his son Jesus for healing.

I pray that I make it to 50 and (I jokingly said to my mom it is the day I die).

But I want to live to at least 70. There is more I want to do.

I plan on moving to New Mexico in 2016.

I plan on finishing my auto-biography by then.

I plan on making Soke and teaching karate again one day.

Only god knows what my future holds.

The highlifes of my past 49 years are:

*Becoming the Captain Crossing Guard in 1977 when I was 12

*Getting First Place in Archery in 1978 when I was 13

*Winning the Pine Wood Derby in the Cub Scouts in 1979 when I was 14

*Winning the Arrow of Light in the Boy Scouts in 1981 when I was 16

*Joining the Navy in 1984 at age 19

*Graduating from High School in 1985 at the age of 20

*My first West Pac deployment on the USS New Jersey BB-62 when I was 21

*My first Love experience when I was in Inchon Korea in 1986 at the age of 21

*Making Boatswainsmate 3^rd class in 1989 when I was 24

*Making Boatswainsmate 2^nd class 1990 when I was 25

*Getting married to my wife Jill in 1991 at the Stanwood Apple Orchard when I was 26

*Creating my own Martial Arts Style Tiger Ryu Karate

and registering it with the World Self Defense Federation in 1992 at age 27

*Coming home from Med Cruise seeing my son Timmy for the first time when I was 28

*Earning Black Belt in Karate in 1994 when I was 29

*Earning Culinary Arts Degree and Cook Second Class in 1995 at age 30

*Actually seeing the birth of my second soon Ken in 1998 when I was 33

*Earning AAS degree at the Community College of Rhode Island in 2000 at age 35

*Earning Security Certificate (many security trainings) 2002 at age 37

*Earning Master at Arms First Class in 2004 at age 39

*Going to Sea Cadet Officer Training in 2006 at age 41

*Retiring from the Navy in 2007 at age 42

*Opening own in-house dojo in 2008 at age of 43

*Promoting Jana to Junior Black Belt in Tiger Ryu Karate in 2011 when I was 46

*Retiring from Karate in 2012 at age 47

*Earning BA Arts Degree from Western Illinois University 2012 at age 47

*Earning Naval Sea Cadet Lieutenant in 2013 at age 48

*Earning Masters in Arts Degree from Regina University

Navy College Program 2013 at age 48

Now I am 49. What will I accomplish this year?