…the more they remain the same; an adage of unknown origin but most likely known world wide. And a case in point and perfect illustration of that sentiment can be seen in the above photo. Yepper, that’s yours truly, and with apologies to George Lucas I will say that truly was “long ago in a galaxy far, far away”. Not for nothing, is it, I’ll not disclose the date of that photo, for if I did so then you’d just have to do the math to figure out my age…..(“,) Yes, that is one of many things that have changed: I was 2 1/2-to-3-years-old when that pic was clicked with what would now be considered an antique Kodak Brownie camera. Anyone remember these little bulky-box pieces of technology, which at that time was thought of as state-of-the-art?

Since that time, though, that li’l boy has traveled many a mile on his journey through life to find himself in this era of amazing miracles of hi-tech wonders. But the one thing that hasn’t changed in all these years is my ability to run my mouth. As I’ve been told by many, I never know when to shut up. Just ask Lynndee, my li’l Anghel fiancé and co-blogger here.

When I made my trip to the Philippines to meet her, she was not only puzzled, but amazed at how much I talked. And not only that I talked, but would talk to anyone and everyone. In reality, I’ve not always been like that. When I was young, I was terribly shy. Even as I grew, that remained the same. And when it came to girls, forget it; I was terrified of ’em! I worked up the nerve to ask one girl out when I was in high school, and when she said no, I never asked another. So much for those wonderful, nostalgic high-school days most everyone raves about. Methinks that many look back on those days through the prism of rose colored glasses and selective memory.

Nevertheless, that is another thing that has changed: my shyness as well as fear of the softer gender (you can ask Lynndee about that one, too…..HEE-HEE-HEE). I guess time and experience gave me needed self-confidence and I overcame that impediment. There are times that I meet people who knew my Dad, and they tell me I’m just like him. That makes me feel good and happy, for he was a hard-working man as well as one who never met another man that he didn’t like, another old adage. And that is me: I love people and am very gregarious, until and unless one gives me reason to not like them, that is. But while in the Philippines, I met not one person that I did not like. When I left there to come home, I was on a first-name basis with all the guards at the hotel, the restaurant staff and desk clerks, and so many other people I met; simply because I ran my mouth and talked and was friendly. That in itself amazed and puzzled those people, as well, for I had one of them tell me that they’re not used to a tourist like me treating them as equals, and insisting on not being called sir and mister but to be addressed by my given name. What they didn’t realize is that I consider myself one of them, just a working man, trying to survive, and that I respected them for the good job they do on a day-to-day basis in their effort to survive.

And just look at this; more proof that I never know when to shut up; I’ve turned a simple little blog post into a novel; and I’m still not finished! What brought all this about was the pic of me yakking on the phone and a discovery my brother and I made while going through a bunch of his pack-rat junk on Thanksgiving day while I was at his home for dinner. My Mom was the one who found the old photo of me talking on the phone at my granparent’s home all those years ago and gave it to me, saying with a smile on her face, that things never change because after all these years, I’m still always on the phone (a cell phone, now) and internet (which didn’t even exist then), talking to that girl in the Philippines. And what my brother and I found really brought back memories of that long-ago photo as well as many more fond and treasured reminisces. What we found was this:

This is the very culprit, the actual phone I was talking on that day, that began my odyssey of change from being a talker, to a young man who was afraid to even open his mouth, to the man I now am who doesn’t know when to shut up. Oh well; go figure. But my brother salvaged this piece of nostalgia from my grandparent’s home after Granny had to move out and go to an assisted-living center. And in this pic is proof positive that things really do change. Granny and Papaw are now both gone; the old homestead has been razed by bulldozers; and there are no longer Brownie cameras or telephones like this.

Though I am thankful for this new age of technology we live in, for without it I would have never met my wonderful wife-to-be, there’s still one thing that will never change which we’ll always be able to hold onto: memories. And every now and then we stumble across poignant mind-nudging reminders of what once was, making sure we never forget from whence we came, no matter the marvels we now have access to or are yet to come. Now, if I could only go digging around up at Mom’s and find that old Brownie camera, what a treasure that would be. So wish me luck, y’all! And with that, I’ll finally shut up; for now, anyway. See ya, bye ya!