Been awhile since I have posted on the blog. We have been here at our old stick house where my Granddaughter and her family now live. Been kind of busy with the great grandson doing some things around the house. Most of the time has been taken up with doctor appointments. After the heart attack there has been a new hospital stay to open up the blockages - another 2 stints and I am in the pink again. Linda has made sure that I have taken it easy and that we get our walks in daily.
I did take some time to write a little philosophical article on aging and I include it here. We all are getting older so we really need to make sure we are doing the things that are enjoyable and good for one another. I am already planning our next adventure but will need to limit the travels to areas of the good old USA that are nearer sea level.
The LAST days
Hello, my name is Otis P. Lutz and I want to talk about the LAST days. Not the last days of the earth’s existence, but the LAST
days of our lives here on earth.
People have talked as long as I can remember of the demise of the earth through all sort of disasters. From the sun exploding to
an asteroid hitting the earth, to plagues, to alien invasions, to earthquakes to global freezing to wars. None of it has happened, obviously - but there is one certainty, we are ALL going to have our LAST day.
I pick up the paper and look at the obituaries and I notice most of the death announcements are for people that are younger than
I am! Makes you wonder what is with that. You know that the number of years left are a lot fewer than the years that are already passed. We read the FMCA magazine and notice the “finale Trip” list and we know that there
is a time coming when our name will be there.
Do people like to talk about dying? I am not sure but when it is mentioned in a group of elderly people no one seems to shy away
from the conversation. In fact, there is often a reference to the conveyor belt we are on and we are near the end, about ready to drop off the end. I guess you would have to be really weird to think death was not the end that
awaits you. I mean, we all know someone that lived to be over 100 but that is really not normal.
Now, are we terrified? Are we without hope? NO! We have a sure promise and hope.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Sure we have health problems. They seem to grow more numerous with the passing of time. I count myself as really blessed as I was
born with Cystic Fibrosis and the life expectancy of CF is less than 30 years. I had my first heart operation in 1986 and the doctor said I was good for 7 years! Been a little longer than that. Now my heart is really giving
me problems. Have had 6 stints and 3 angio plastic in the last few years. In Sept. of this year, while enjoying our RV full timing lifestyle, I had a heart attack in New Mexico. They did another heart cath and said there was
nothing more they could do for the heart. I also have COPD and now the PSA is getting really high. Cancer! But I am still happy and loving the Lord and life on this wonderful earth he has created.
Another great promise we have is found in 2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident , I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
The wonderful organization to which my wife Linda and I belong, The Challengers, provides us with many opportunities to travel and
camp together. The fellowship, food and games we share provide many opportunities to share God’s Love with one another. Sure we are all getting older and we regularly loose a member to their “home going” or to their
inability to traveling in a motor home but we who are able continue on. We miss them and grieve for their partner who has gone on to their reward but we are sure in the promise that was given to them also.
Life is like a bank account. We make deposits and we make withdrawals. What we can withdraw depends on what we have deposited. We
have all learned in this computer age: garbage in - garbage out. The same with the life savings account. If we have deposited “garbage” we can expect to withdraw garbage. It is much better to deposit good things and deeds
into your “life” account. In addition your bank account includes time.
You can not add to the “time” account. Not only that but the account has an automatic payout. All you can do is determine how
you will spend your allotted time. Time can be spent to buy happy memories or to purchase regrets. Once it is spent, for good or ill, it is gone. We know that as we get older, time passes very rapidly! We certainly don’t
want to spend any remaining time in our account on anything that will bring sadness to ourselves or others. It seems that we older folks are spending too much of our time at doctors. I know I am. I guess we can look at that
expense of time as an investment. Hopefully the interest on that time spent is greater than the expanded time. Since we have returned from our wonderful trip, we have spent most of our time at doctors. Hopefully it will enable
us to head out again for our planned trip to Alabama and the Friendship Rally.
Family! Families are the mainstay of any group. When we are in a good group, we say it feels like family. I am most blessed with
the best family in the world (I know we all feel the same way). We have a family reunion that we attend each July in Ohio. We have over 100 family members attend and the number is usually around 125! It is a wonderful event
that is the result of my sister Patty. She works each year to see that this is the best one yet! I sure do admire her for the love she has for her family. But there is a cost to everything. The more we love the more the sorrow
when the time for departure comes. The solution is to deposit as many wonderful memories of the “family” reunions as possible. Do not pass a chance to fellowship together.
Well that is my philosophy for life. I am more than happy with the life I have had. There are things I have done and said for which
I have regrets and wish I could make amends. I have had a long life and have had the best wife in the world. I have known love and have been blessed. I wish Gods blessing on each and every one of you.
Otis P. Lutz
Still nothing on the Friendship Rally on the net. We have several of our friends that will be travelling with us to the Talladega, Alabama rally in June. Great location for a really friendly and enjoyable rally. It is in June right before the national FMCA Rally. From the rally Linda and I will travel to Ohio for our annual Family Reunion on July 20th.
The weather has been really mild. In March we are here for the birth of another great grandson. Also expect to have a mini family reunion with the arrival of my sisters and their husbands and also my sister-in-law from Colorado. Then we head out for our summer travels. I will be posting or agenda if anyone out there would like to caravan with us.
Until the next time - Otis
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