On a Sunday evening a long time ago, I was responsible for my mother missing a dinner she'd been looking forward to. I heard about it later. Several times.
Back then, however, I was exhibiting behavior that would become a life-long pattern. It's called "impetuosity." There's probably some psychobabble term for it nowadays, but I know it as my predictable response when there's something I want or want to do.
When my mother missed the Sunday evening chicken dinner, I was demanding to be born. That was 70 years ago today. Yes, today, November 23, I turn 70 years old and I can tell you this for certain: It's the funniest thing that's ever happened to me!
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Haha! Mommy missed dinner.
Two weeks to the day after I was born, the Japanese Imperial forces attacked Pearl Harbor. They missed me. I was still in Detroit.
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| Is this little whiner a year old yet? Don't think so. |
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| Dad and me on the left, Uncle Willard and Cousin Bud on right. |
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| I'd guess it's 1942 and I'm one year old. |
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| Looks like I was 2 in this picture, 1943. |
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| Looking for adventure at 3. |
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| Christmas in Alaska with my brother, circa 1948 or 1949. I'm 7 or 8. |
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| Can't count the candles but I'd guess circa 1950. |
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| Probably 8 or 9? Maybe 10. |
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| 1951 and 10 with brother Jim and sister Karen. |
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| Maybe 1953? Maybe 12? |
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| High school, 1959, and I'm 17. |
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| I'm 19 and a bridesmaid. |
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| I'm 21 in 1962. |
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| It's 1963 and I'm 22. |
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| 1973, with my dog team at Trout Lake on the Resurrection Trail. |
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| On the Oregon Coast in 1973. I'm 31. |
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| On Sheep Mountain in Canada, 1975. I'm 33. |
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| With Ken at Copper River, 1977. I'm 35. |
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| Making moose sausage, 1978. I'm 36. |
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| Circa 1981. I'm about 39. |
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| With the woodshed I built. I'm about 40. |
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| With the rare frog fish, Kona, Hawaii, 1982, and I'm taking SCUBA lessons at 40. |
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| In Japan circa 1985. |
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| In Japan, circa 1985, and 43 years old. |
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| At Kennicott Mine with Ken. 1985, and I'm 44. |
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| On Amchitka Island, the Aleutians, Alaska, in 1988. I'm 46. |
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| Snow machine para-sailing in Moose Pass. I'm about 50. |
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| With a small catered Christmas party, circa 1993. I'm 52. |
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| Snow machining in Yellowstone National Park with friend John. It's 1997 and I'm 55. I also have double walking pneumonia. |
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| Kayaking Tern Lake near midnight in 2006. New sport for me at 60. |
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| In the Outback of Australia, celebrating life at 66 in 2008. |
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| Onstage--and not by choice-- in Alice Springs, the Outback, Australia, proving to everyone I can't play the didgeridoo. I'm 66 and you'd think I'd know better. |
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| At the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference in 2009. At 68, I am preparing to read one of my compositions to the gathered writers, instructors, and agents. Gulp. This was a first! |
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| Before St. Basil's in Red Square, Moscow. It's 2009 and I'm almost 68. |
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| Horseback, leading the group out of Haleakala Crater on Maui. 2009, and I'm 67. |
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| Looking at huge brown bear tracks at Yakutat Bay, 2010, I'm 68. |
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| At my 50th high school class reunion in 2010, with Elvis and The Royal Coachman, Ron Moore. I'm 68. |
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| On the road with Pablo, in 2009. |
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| In Lhasa, Tibet, 2010. And I'm pretty close to 69. |
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| Hiking in the upper part of the Grand Canyon, 2010. I'm almost 69. |
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| It's 2011. I'm 69. Only a few people will understand why I'm sitting in this very old chair and what it means to me. Old women deserve to have secrets. |
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| Summer of 2011. I'm 69 and catching red salmon in the Kenai River. |
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| I'm 69, a few months from 70, and certainly old enough to know better when I struggled into a 40 lb. backpack and hiked 28 miles of the Resurrection/Devil's Creek trail. By myself. |
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| Can you read the tee shirt message? |
