"Sometimes we just dream, and then other times, we just do it."
Have you ever wanted to do something, but never have the time or money to do it? Well this old man finally did one of those things. I have never been in an airplane, nor did I really want to be, up until this year, when I promised my grand-daughter, "Amanda", that I would be there for her graduation from high school. Now this was in Texas, and since it really hasn't been very long since my heart surgery, we decided that I might not be up for the long drive by car. So the fastest way there and back, without losing much time at work, was by the airways. This meant that I had to purchase my tickets early enough, so that we would be sure to have them , to be able to schedule off from work on the right days. I don't like to let my money sit in someone else's hands, so I waited almost too long. I finally called one of the places to get my tickets from, and I was amazed at what they can do. I had our tickets the next day. Of course I could of save some money by going in the night-time hours, but I wanted to see everything in as much light as possible.
We arrived at the Indy airport about an hour early, as told to us by the agent. Then we sat and waited. Of course, everyone was thinking that I was getting nervous, but you know what? I was as calm as a sleeping baby. My brother Russell asked me if I was scared, and I told him that if I could go through with open heart surgery and come through that as good as I did, then I can handle an airplane ride. The man next to me was listening and he said that I was right not to be scared. It seems that he went through open heart surgery about two weeks after I did, and he had the same number of blockages, that I had. So I figured that if two men on the same plane were given a second chance at life, then an ordinary ride on a plane was going to be a piece of cake. It turned out that this same man was sitting in the seat in front of me in the plane.
Well the feeling I had when we were leaving the ground, was one of a lifting expierence, as we angled into the blue skies. Once we were so high, the plane leveled out and it seem like we were just floating there. It didn't seem like we were even moving, so just as soon as the airline people started walking the aisle, I asked them how high we were and he said that we were at 30,000 feet, moving at the rate of 450 miles per hour, and the the outside temperature was 50 degeees below zero. I was amazed at hearing that. well I was sitting beside the window and again I was amazed at what I saw. The clouds were every where and you could see the ground at times and it was very beautiful. When it was clear, I could see how sections were separated by roads and how nice it was plotted out. I, on that day, was able to respect the work performed by the engineers and the surveyors, whose job it is to plot out where a road or a building was going to be built. I can truthfully say that they know what they are doing.
I really like to look out on the horizon and see the beauty of this world. The roar of the plane and the tilting of the wings, along with the bumping once in awhile, wasn't too bad. I kind of had an idea of what a bird goes through as he flies around. As I looked out the window, I was reminded of the song called "Holes In The Floor Of Heaven". Oh what a beautful thing that was created by God, and available for this old man to see. I once heard someone say that when I finally got into an airplane, and way up in the sky, I would be that much closer to God. Well, let me tell you one thing. I am as close to God, with my feet on the ground as I am 30,000 feet in the air. It is just that up there I can see more of his beautiful work. Of course, if you look for beauty, you will find it just about anywhere you look.
Well, getting back to the plane ride, we were on another one that same day, and finally in Texas. Two days later we were on our way back, and we had a delayed flight to Dallas and then another delayed flight to Indy. The ride home was just as pleasing, and maybe a little more as we had to travel in the late evening hours and this gave me a chance to see the sunset and the moon rise at the same time. As I watched the sun go down past the horizon, I saw a beautiful display of colors, and it lasted for a long time. And as we watched through the window on the other side, the rising of the moon in its beauty was very breath-taking to see. I thought to myself, of how the people who go up in space feel when they can see all the beauty created by God in one glance. It must be worth all the work that they have to do to get there.
As we finally landed in Indy, I knew that I had finally done one of the things that so far had been only a dream. And as we left the airport, I thought to myself that God was watching over me, as I made my flight into the big blue skies. I wanted to find some ground and plant my feet on it and know that I was home safe. But you know what? I really did not set my feet on actual dirt until I got home that night. Everything is concrete until you get into the car and make that trip back home to you safe haven called home. We were very safely taken to Texas and back, by the fastest way possible , and we lived to talk about it. Two days later, there was a plane crash in Arkansaw, and it was the same type of plane and the same airlines that we flew in. Many were killed and many injured on that flight. That sort of makes you think that just maybe we were very fortunate to have gone when we did. But then when you think about it, It probaly is about as safe in that plane as it is in the car. The safety record of airplanes is very good, and with the time saved , going by air, we were able to get our mission done, and now able to get on with the real world of living. And so now , I think about what I would like to do next, and my dreams of one day, of being a leader in the great city of Kokomo, and of being mayor of this great city, might only be that. Just a dream. But then, there are those who had said that there was no way that this old man would ever set his sights on an airplane ride, and they were wrong. There are those who have said that this old man, who does not let any group sway his thinking, would never make it in politics, because he is too honest and he is set in his own ways. I take a little offence in that , because I have known many a man who has set in that top chair in this city and they have done a great job, while staying honest and respectful. We have been blessed with great people as mayor of Kokomo, and so just maybe, that dream will come true one day. And as long as we have people like the two running for mayor this year, there is no use of me trying to get that position. Jim has done a great job in his stint in office, and in anything he does, because he is a man who comes from good stock, and a respected family. Mike also comes from a very respected family , and his dad was a very good servant of this great city as well as a great teacher. So just maybe, I will just hang on to what I am doing right now and that is doing a job where I meet a lot of nice people, and I work with a great group too.
So let me dream about things that I haven't done yet, and I will put some on the back burner, to do later. In this time of turning into the next century, and what it might bring, I feel that even though the past years have been great and fullfilling, the future might be a lot better. we can only hope for a safe passage into the next century without all the problems that the doom-sayers have predicted, and all the problems with the computers that might happen. I look forward to what is up ahead, because I was given a second chance at life, and there is still some work out there for me to do. Whatever happens when that time comes, I know that we will survive, because my generation comes from the old days when you had to work for what you got. All the things that we had back then was earned and was respected, because of the sweat and tears, of those who made it possible. Do we still have that respect, and do we still earn the things that we have now, or has it been given to us on a silver platter? I can say this and that is that everything that I have now was because of hard work and honesty, set forth by those wonderful people called Mom and Dad. Bless thier hearts for doing that for me.
Well, I hope that you liked this article, and that you will look for me again, when I write about the old days , and the memories, that come straight from the heart. Thanks for listening to this old man blow some steam. See you later; Ray "Uncle Ray" Day.
"History is made by those who act out thier dreams into reality."
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