Saturday, January 06, 2007

A backward look at '06

Today is the sixth day of the new year. So I'd like to take today to glance backward at the sixth year of the century (or milennium).

What a year it was for me! When '06 began I had rather low expectations, at least in terms of A.D. 2005. THAT year had seemingly been a very good year for yours truly. And I know that I had done certain things to make the year ending in "5" such a good and memorable one. (I tend to give significance to specific numbers, such as 5, or 11 or 15.)

Nevertheless, in a lot of ways the just-ended year surpassed its predecessor. This occurred with less deliberate action on my part! And some of my conscious choices resulted in unexpected benefits!

For example, I chose to change summer jobs at Fiesta Texas. This I did primarily to avoid five straight hours in the hot Texas summer sun, with my hypertension problem. And I'd really wanted a totally indoor job, specifically in the Hospitality Office. Instead I ended up working on a ride. And what a "ride" I got while working on that ride! Had I known how FUN it was to work as Conductor and Depot Agent on the Fiesta Texas Railroad, I'd have started out working on the railroad when I first got hired by the theme park! If you've been following my blog postings since at least June, you know that I posted several reports or comments (or both) about my summer job.

Far more important in the eternal scheme of things was my participation on the teams for both a Walk to Emmaus and a Kairos Weekend. Again, I didn't start out to do TWO in one year -- indeed in one season. But since I got to do neither a Walk nor a Weekend in '05, it sort of stands to reason that I should indeed do both. I kept telling myself that I was CRAZY to do such. And then BOTH experiences turned into such memorable blessings!

Let me not forget my friendships with two fellows I met in '06. Upstairs for over half the year lived Dennis from Detroit, a quiet neighbor (I never heard him leaving his apartment even tho' previous occupants sounded noisy on the outside stair) about my age. AND sharing my birthday, 14 March! The other friendship was with Bobby, who was a veteran on the train crew at Fiesta Texas. I met him the day I began training on the ride (as Conductor and Depot Agent), and immediately liked him. He always had a broad smile. Alas! both Dennis and Bobby have moved away, the former back to Motown and the latter to Pennsylvania, I think, to be near his ailing parents.

Like icing on the cake was the successful quest of the Alamo Heights High School Mules football team for the state championship in 4-A Division I! Early in the 2006 h.s. football season I had commented on high school football as being the "National Religion" of the Lone Star State. I asserted that I did not get as passionate about the sport (or any sport) as many men and even not a few Texas women get. Nevertheless, I DO enjoy the gridiron contests at the high school varsity level! So I was just as delighted as any native Texan that AHHS took the championship!

1 comment:

Glen Alan Graham said...

Here is a list of the ten most memorable events of A.D. 2006:

10. Participated in 10th Annual César Chávez March.

9. Commenced working as Conductor-Depot Agent on Fiesta Texas RR.

8. Rode "The Rattler" coaster at Fiesta Texas for the first time.

7. Attended Texas Cavaliers River Parade and Battle of Flowers Parade of Fiesta 2006.

6. Enjoyed a couple of other Fiesta '06 events with upstairs neighbor, Dennis from Detroit.

5. Cheered AHHS Mules to Texas 4-A Division I football championship.

4. Experienced a whirlwind of a Diez y Seis weekend.

3. Lambda Chi Alpha Founders Day barbecue in early March.

2. Men's walk to Emmaus #1327.

1. Kairos weekend #1 in Dolph Briscoe Prison Unit.