Bruce columnJanuary 3 2010

Bruce column January 3, 2010

Last week most of the media outlets, including The Herald Journal, had their list of the top stories of 2009. The end of the year is always a time of reflection about the year that just ended. Because of this I found it an interesting exercise to make a list of the top ten events in my life during 2009. Some were tragic and some were fun. Some were significant only to me, most were rather insignificant considering all of the important things that happened during the past year.

First on my list was a family tragedy. Last June my seventeen year old grand daughter was killed in an automobile accident. She was headed to a church camp with several other girls and their adult leader when a rear tire failed causing the van to roll several times. Two of the girls in the van were killed, the others only suffered minor injuries. I made a trip to Nevada with three of my daughters to do what I could to help my daughter’s family cope with the tragic loss. That week last June had to be one of the most difficult of my life. It was the saddest funeral I have ever attended.

Second on my list of significant events during 2009 was a once in a life time trip to Peru. The Logan Rotary club partnered with the Rotary Club in Iquitos, Peru to finance and complete three humanitarian projects for two remote villages on the Amazon River. There was a tremendous sense of pride in being part of an organization that helped provide clean water and sanitary facilities to the people of these remote villages. Until Rotary stepped in and provided money for the projects people in this remote area of South America had never know what it was like to have a reliable supply of clean water. The twelve day trip in August was not only a significant event for 2009, but will be remembered as a highlight of my life.

The third significant event for me in 2009 was a visit I made to the Huntsman Cancer hospital in October. After a bunch of blood tests, a CAT scan, and an examination by my oncologist Dr. Glen I was told that I had reached a milestone in my life with regard to my battle with cancer. Two years after treatment I’m still cancer free. I was told by Dr. Glen that instead getting checked every three months I’ve been moved to an every six month cycle. This was very good news and gave me hope that maybe I can live a while longer cancer free.

Fourth, I became a great grandfather, twice. I thought being a grandfather was significant, but becoming a great grandfather was very significant and something I though would never happen to me. My mom was so excited to become a great great grandmother. We now have a bunch of five generation pictures that are priceless.

Putting Oscar, our longtime pet cat, down is fifth on my list. Oscar was given to us by our daughter Kendra and had been part of our family for about twelve years. He was a great pet. Both Karen and I adored him. Unfortunately he became diabetic and eventually very sick. I’ll never forget the trusting look in his eyes as we drove him to the vet to be put down. It was a very sad day. We had him cremated and still have his ashes in a box that sits on the living room table.

Number six, the impact the depressed economy had on the newspaper. It has been a very difficult year for the newspaper. We have had to take some drastic steps to cut expenses because of advertising revenue shortfalls. I have been in the newspaper business for almost 50 years and have seen lots of ups and downs in the economy, but never anything like what we experienced in 2009. I never thought I would see the day when major newspaper across America would fail. Fortunately the economy has improved advertising revenues are rebounding and the newspaper will do just fine.

Number seven on my list was riding my bicycle in LOTOJA (Logan to Jackson) with Team Rotary. It was a beautiful day for riding and I was able to complete my leg of the event, 47 miles, in just over two and one-half hours. For the first time ever, Team Rotary finished while the sun was still shining. Each year five members of the Logan Rotary club form a relay team for the event, get pledges, and raise some money to put dictionaries in the local schools. It’s a great way to raise some money for a worthy cause and finish up a summer of cycling in Cache Valley.

The eighth event on my list was a vacation trip we took with our friends the Earls to the east coast. We went to a Monday night football game visited the historic sights in Philadelphia. While our wives visited quilt shops in Amish country, Craig and I visited the Harley Davidson plant in York, Pennsylvania.

Ninth on the list was the remodel of our home. Karen remodeled the kitchen and replaced some carpeted areas with hardwood floors. We have new kitchen counter tops and hardwood floors in all of the traffic areas. I tell her that we could put up a hoop on the kitchen wall and invite friends to come over and play basketball on the new hardwood floors.

Finally I became an owner of an iphone. I can now text, twitter, check the weather, follow the stock market, take pictures, listen to music, keep my golf score, check my calendar, read the newspaper, get and send e-mail, find locations on a map with a GPS, get sports scores, and do a bunch of other stuff. I can even make a telephone call.

Who knows what 2010 will bring, life is always an adventure.