{"id":6730,"date":"2023-07-10T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=6730"},"modified":"2023-07-24T19:40:19","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T23:40:19","slug":"148-anniversaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/148-anniversaries\/","title":{"rendered":"#148\u2014Anniversaries\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Who said, \u201c<\/em>You don\u2019t quit because you get old. You get old because you quit.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what movie did we hear, \u201cThe less you do, the more you do.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what song (and who sang it), did we hear:
    I’m so glad we made it<\/em>
    Look how far we’ve come<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    <\/div>
    Blog #148 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>
    <\/div>
    Published: <\/span>July 24, 2023<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
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    \"Andy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    As I\u2019ve grown older (i.e., \u201cseasoned\u201d), anniversaries come and go\u2014some are more memorable than others. At 68, my wedding anniversary in March remains the most important. I won\u2019t pretend to try to \u201crank\u201d the others, like birthdays, family events, or deaths\u2026 they\u2019re all important to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, July 10 is one of those anniversaries that I\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I enlisted in the United States Navy on July 10, 1973\u2026 50 years ago today. T<\/a>hree Years, Eleven Months, & 29 Days (But Who\u2019s Counting)<\/a><\/strong> later, I walked off the afterbrow of USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>, CV-63, in San Diego for the last time. That is, until the decommissioning ceremony<\/a> in 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPermission to go ashore, sir?\u201d Even though I was technically a civilian, old habits die hard. \u201cPermission granted. Good luck, son. I turned to the fantail and saluted the flag, once again (old habits die hard).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In one of my first blogs, I wrote, \u201cFrom Sailor to Civilian.<\/strong><\/a>\u201d It wasn\u2019t that hard for my conversion from the Navy. A full-time job with the City of Gainesville Fire Department<\/strong><\/a> and returning to college as a full-time student kept me busy and somewhat regimental. Without question, that definitely helped me ease back into civilian life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My last post\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    In my last post, I wrote about an \u201cunwanted journey,\u201d\u2014my wife\u2019s cancer. FYI\u2014appendix cancer: removed and no<\/em> additional treatments necessary (no chemo, no radiation). That was one hell of a weight lifted off our shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And we just returned from a 3-week vacation in Scotland\u2014no problems whatsoever. Unless you want to count the travel delay from Atlanta (2\u00bd hours) or the travel delay from Edinburgh (4 hours). But\u2026 such is international travel these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After posting that story, I received a plethora of comments, messages, text\u2014some public, some private\u2014from friends and shipmates. Many have been on this journey before. I can\u2019t tell you what that support has meant to me and to Becky. I heard from people I\u2019ve never met before. That tells me that we\u2019re all family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And another FYI… Becky is back to her normal everyday routines. It’s like there was a 2 1\/2 month “blur.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    An Important Date<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Forty-six years ago, at 22 years old, I was ready to conquer the world. And, like many fellow Navy veterans <\/em>(and Army, Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard friends), I did\u2026 in my own way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve said this before, and I\u2019ll say it again\u2026 I may have left the Navy, but the Navy never left me. There\u2019s a sort of impression that remains with me. I still fold some of my clothes the same way. I still drink my coffee black & strong. When I feel a stiff wind blowing in my face, I often close my eyes, stretch out my arms and remember \u201cbow flying\u201d on the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I don\u2019t cuss like a sailor as much as I used to, but I can still toss a zinger at the appropriate time now and then. And yes, there is a Navy “Glossary of Terms<\/strong>“<\/a> on my website. You know… just in case you need to recall a certain term or phrase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And yes, there are times when I\u2019m with another veteran\u2014it doesn\u2019t matter which branch of service\u2014and we hit on a subject that few civilians would dare discuss. There are often a few moments of silence, perhaps a memory that we both share from different worlds. But because we served, we know. Memories are often golden, but there are a few that many of us would rather forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Today is an anniversary for me: July 10, 1973 is the day I joined the Navy. I never questioned the decision to join (well, that is, after<\/em> boot camp<\/a>), and I\u2019ve always looked at this as the one of the major cornerstones of my character. That may not be the case for everyone, but it is for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This week\u2019s post is shorter than usual. My son and his two boys are spending time with us in Florida. They live in San Diego, so we only get to see them a few times a year. We make the most of it, especially these <\/em>days\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One last comment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    This is not mine, but it really spoke to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My grandmother once gave me a tip: <\/em>
    In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.
    Do what you have to do, but little by little.
    Don\u2019t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.
    Wash the dishes.
    Remove the dust.
    Write a letter.
    Make a soup.
    You see?
    You are advancing step by step.
    Take a step and stop.
    Rest a little.
    Praise yourself.
    Take another step.
    Then another.
    You won\u2019t notice, but your steps will grow more and more.
    And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.<\/em>
    ~Elena Mikhalkova<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Answers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Anonymous.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall<\/strong> (2008), Chuck (Paul Rudd).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. You\u2019re Still the One<\/strong> (1997), Shania Twain; written by Robert John Lange, Shania Twain.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Previous blogs mentioned in this post:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n