Dumb Vs. Stupid

I have said several times, sometimes I can act dumb, but I am not stupid! I am fasting tonight to take a blood test tomorrow morning. Every three months I go to my doctor. He keeps an eye on my blood pressure, my diabetes, and my blood chemistry. I am not yet taking anything for my diabetes. I watch my salt and sugar intake.

Mary tries to get me to eat the right foods. It is an ongoing battle to eat right. Most of the time I listen to her. Sometimes I sneak a treat. I don't have much self control. But I also want to continue in the living years. So I try to listen to Mary. It usually works out that I behave. Most of the time! Just went out to the kitchen for a snack. Saw my note, no food or drink after 8:00 PM tonight. It is now 8:48. Sorry, only water! Good I write myself notes all over the place! My mind is terrible, too many hits to the head over the years.

My father had eight strokes before he had the one that took his life. They did not treat high blood pressure much in the old days. I have been monitored since I hooked up with Mary. If not for her, I would not be around now. I smoked four packs of mostly non-filtered cigarettes a day, and drank heavy. I was drunk a couple times a week when I was young.

I needed a nurse to set me straight. Quitting alcohol was not near as difficult as quitting nicotine. Cigarettes are the most trying thing I ever had to quit in my life. Even now 35 years after I quit, if I smell unfiltered cigarette smoke, just for an instant I would take one. It is that much of a draw on my psyche. I can't imagine how it is quitting drugs. That is why I was afraid to try drugs when I was young, I knew how bad nicotine had a hold on me. Both my parents families had problems with alcohol and nicotine. Its in our genes. My younger boy smoked for a few years. He has quit several years now, to our delight.

Quite a few times I am ashamed to say I drove drunk. I don't remember getting home! Now I realize how horrendous it is to take a chance like that. Back then it did not have the stigma it has now. A good friend Bill was killed by a drunk driver a few weeks after we graduated high school. I am so thankful the LORD watched over me in my single years, because I did not.

I worry about my family, because there a lot of people out there like me when I was young and stupid. At that age, IT can't happen to me. It is always someone else. I lost five friends to stupid people and stupid actions. Every couple weeks it was in the paper. (Local youth fails to negotiate curve.) It meant another kid bought a tragic end to the living years.

Unfortunately, the car accidents are still happening. The kids are still invincible at that age. So they think. And the motorcycle accidents mount up too. People start out on big heavyweight cycles that do not forgive mistakes. Not like us 50 years ago when we learned on small lightweight bikes.

I also see so many people riding without helmets today. They should not have changed the law, I believe. If I had not had a helmet on when that guy tried to run me over, I would not be here today. My helmet has a piece out of it where my head hit the roadway! I thank the LORD every day for looking over me and my family!

Its funny how your look on life's changes with age and some wisdom! I know I am not really smart, but I am not as dumb as I was  at 18 or 19 years old. I have learned some good over the years. I am just lucky I was given the chance to grow old and a little wiser. So many have not had that chance. They paid a high price for young foolishness.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope my faults and my learning inspire you to change your life for the better. I am learning all the time. You must too!

The difficult we will do immediately.

The impossible will take a little while longer.