Well it's summer time, I am not sure how the season has arrived so quickly. It seems like only yesterday we had the winter time blues, then spring blew in and the car show season was upon us. Before long we'll be heading for the mountains or the ocean to escape the heat. It is truly amazing how time can fly by when you're having fun or self absorbed in whatever projects we've got our nose into. My current project at the time of this writing was the SRM's Father's Day Tribute piece. It was another reminder of how quickly time passes.
I was busy reading many wonderful things that our readers had to say about their dad's, while at the same time remembering my own dad through the stories. I had photos of yesteryear scattered all around me of today's grown gearheads with their dads as children. Photos of time and generations marching on.
It was May and Mother's day too was lurking around the corner. I made a mental note to myself that I needed something nice this year to show my mom how much I appreciated her for all the foolishness she had put up with over the years with me. Then it happened I had a very rude interruption. A trip to the ER!
I had felt lousy for a few days, but this day I really didn't feel like myself, but I had work to do and was enjoying it despite I felt lousy. We've all heard the stories of tightness in the chest, straining in the neck, numbness under the jaw. Feeling hot and cold, nausea, headache, ache all over. So I decided I needed to get out of the office for some air and went for a walk out back. That's when it hit me ... I couldn't walk right, my legs seemed not a part of me, if I didn't sit down I was going to fall down. So I sat and tried to shake the feeling off, which didn't work.
I took the cell phone from my pocket to call the Fire Department, not for their help, but the help of my husband who was working for the city of Richmond that day. I told him I thought I was going to have to go to the ER. Now he knows I have a thing about hospitals, and it's not a good thing. After all No One likes hospitals! I hesitated to say what I thought was wrong, but at the same time really wanted ... no, needed my best friend at my side. So I calmly disclosed the answer to his question of what was wrong ... "Ah' I think I am having a heat attack." The rest is a blur, I was on my way with my husband to the ER.
Despite the textbook symptoms of a heart attack I figured Na' I'll be fine,.. Couldn't be,... not me, I'm too young ... can I go home now? .. Just give me a shot and I'll be better. Then I heard the words .. "Who is your cardiologist? Talk about a reality check! OK guys and gals what I am trying to say here is at this point you start to think about what is really important in your life. I mean what if something goes really wrong ... and the game of life is over?
I will not bore you with all the fun details, The good news is I did not have a heart attack and I am fine. I was told to de-stress my life, stop and smell the roses, blah, blah, we all know the routine about healthy living. Something that is hard to do when your busy. BUT ... the point that I am trying to make to SRM's readers is take time for you and your family no matter what seems to be important in life, because what is really important is you and your family!
So get out the picnic basket, grabs the kids, grand kids, spouse and get in the car and take a trip to nowhere, just cruise, forget work, the bills, what you haven't finished. Enjoy a day with your family or what ever it is that makes you happy! Stop the world, even for just one day to chill out for some R&R. Life goes by very fast, don't miss what is important, don't wait for a reality check! Get out and enjoy the ride!
“Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.
People who don’t have dreams
don’t have much.”
Your Publisher,
Lea Ellen Dunham,
Still Runnin Magazine
My Family & Their ‘61 Caddy