On my road of life, I have been witness to happiness and to sadness, but I travel the road with my head held high, in hopes that someday that road will end at the steps of Heaven, where I will be judged as to whether I have enough to enter The Gates of Heaven. Only one can do that judging and that is The Great Father. Whether I am worthy of his praise, or if I am not, He will be the one to say. So as I live here in this great place that He built, I try not to do any judging of my own. That is a very hard thing to do as there are many situations that require some judgment on my and others part in order to keep this great land stable until that day when it is time for me to stop worrying about what others are doing, and just go on home. People who know me will say that I am one who does not belong to any one group as to church and as to belief. I believe in the theory that if you believe and if you do the best that you can while you are here, and you help each other in thier time of need, then you get the chance to stand before Him for judgement. So what this old man is about to say will make you wonder if I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, and if I know what I am talking about. That is well and good because it is time to say what I have to say while I am still here.

I was raised by two great people who loved me very much as they did with each and every member of thier family. I was taught that to steal was wrong and that talking against someone was wrong. I was taught that everyone was equal regardless of race or religion. I was taught also that when you promised to do something, it was to be done, no matter how difficult it was. I was taught that loyalty to your family and to your country and to your GOD was the number one thing to always remember to do.

This leads me into my first judgement of which I feel is important to say. When someone recieves an offer of a scholarship to a college because of him or her being an exceptional ball player, and he or she commits themself to that college, then he or she should follow through on that promise. That is what I call being loyal to your committment. It seems like in the last twenty years, the smell and sight of money has turned the heads of those young men and women , and they jump at the chance of being a professional sports star. Where is that loyalty to the school that overlooked someone else in order to get a rising young star.?  Where is the loyalty to the parents and to the former coaches that wanted the best in education for that young man or women? We saw this happen many times this year as there were many who turned thier back on those who helped them get to a college. One such man from Marion could of waited and matured a lot more while getting an education that will take care of him in his later years after he leaves the sport. Look at the two young men who went right out of high school in the Pacer organization. They were not committed to any college but they could of been if they wanted it. What most young people need to realize is that the money will always be there but you neec to get that higher education first.

An example of the high money stakes in professional sports is what you see and read in the papers , and on television. Many men and women, once they get the feel of being rich , are not equiped with enough good comman sence to save it. They go on dope, drinking , associating with the wrong people, and thier lives are ruined because they didn't have enough good comman sence to think it out first. And because of what they have done with thier lives, others are affected too. Think how the parents feel about thier loved one ruining his or her life. Think about that student who could of been able to go to college on the scholarship that the other wasted. Was he able to go or did he take a back seat in life because he wasn't able to further his education.

I try not to look at others and say that they should of done differently. What I do try do is to think about the one that got away, who with that chance of a higher education, might of been the one who found the answer to cancer or to other things that would of benefited all of us. What those young people learn when they get that much needed form of higher education, we will benefit greatly. What those who turned thier back on higher education in order to make that big bucks in pro sports,did was to limit thier loyalty and thier respect for all that is good in this world For the youngsters of today to fill thier brains with the dope bought with the get rich money of pro sports, instead of knowledge needed by all of us, I can only hope that they wake up fast. There is a reason why that stuff is called dope, and that is because only dopes use it.

So I guess maybe I have passed some judgement on others, but someone has to do it, and just maybe there is a few youngsters out there that will think this old man is cool with his thoughts. Just maybe I might turn someone around and he or she will take the road to using good comman sense while here on this place we call earth. Whether I got to first base with anyone , I know that the road of life is not always an easy one with all its holes and detours, and blockages, but then life wasn't meant to be easy. Somone once said that you can walk in circles and never get anywhere, until you find that spot where the door opens, and opportunity stares you in the face. Think about that until next week when I hope you will invite me in to visit with you. Ray "UNCLE RAY" Day