SPEED IN LIFE (Biographical)

I always wanted to fly the super sonic Concord one way to Europe or back again, Just once.  But the price always kept ahead of me.  When I could fly round trip to Europe for $1,000 on a sub-sonic flight, the Concord was $1,700 one-way, and I felt I couldn't justify it.

In Seattle, Boeing has an airplane museum including a Concord that you can actually go into.  You couldn't sit down because they had a plastic "canopy" covering the seats, but you could walk down the isle.  It looked kind of cramped.  Actually I found the Boeing museum very interesting.  We were supposed to go on a Bay boat ride, but it was very foggy.  We wouldn't have seen anything so we went to the museum.  It was one of those occasions where you were glad that things turned out as they did,  As the old saying goes, "Life is what happens while we plan other things."

I did go on the Bullet Trains in Japan on a few occasions, however.  It was very pleasant and smooth with no sensation of speed.

I flew on Boeing 727s a lot and loved it.  I liked the way you got pushed back in your seat as they accelerated on takeoff.  And in the air, there was this whistling sound so you had some sensation of speed.  And then there were the "ride 'em cowboy" landings at high speed to prevent flame-out of the engines.

But life is not all about speed.  Mahatma Gandhi has said, "There is more to life than increasing its speed." http://www.great-quotes.com/quote/531411.  He also said, "Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction." (http://www.azquotes.com/quote/856033) 

I  have learned over the years to slow down and try to enjoy each day at a time.  During the election period I kept have this urge to get to the next primary or whatever.  I would have to tell myself to try to enjoy the day I am in.  The news media does not help as they are always trying to tell what is going to happen when, in a few days or weeks, we will find out.  After all I am 85 yrs old when no male on either side of my family lived to 75.  I feel like I could go a long ways yet, but who knows?  Each Sunday I have a flute of champagne to celebrate getting though another week.