I LIKE TO THINK OF OUR RESIDENCE AS A "COMMUNITY IN LEARNING" FOR 5 YEARS MY WIFE ,CAROL & I WERE IN A LOVELY COTTAGE. SINCE SHE CHANGED HER RESIDENCE TO HEAVEN, I HAVE LIVED NEARLY 2 YEARS IN OUR LARGE SPACIOUS 5 FLOOR BUILDING.

THE NON-PROFIT CORPORATION THAT NOW OPERATES THIS DELIGHTFUL PLACE WHICH THE METHODIST CHRISTIANS built 41 years ago, is the largest institution of this type in California.. From the lanai ON THE 4TH FLOOR OF THIS OVER 4O ACRE SITE ON THE SIDE OF MOUNT SOLEDAD MOUNTAIN I HAVE A VIEW OF MISSION BAY WITH IT'S CIRCUITOUS BEACHES AND THE CORONADO BRIDGE.

WHERE WE GO FOR PLAYS, EXHIBITS AND NAVAL ACTIVITY.(oF OUR 89 MEN TODAY, WE HAVE OVER 70 RELATED IN YEARS PAST TO THE MILITARY.(TWO EX- BRIGADIER GENERALS)..GENERAL KRUH, OF THE MARINES ,IS NOW PRESIDENT OF OUR W-PALMS CLUB.

tHREE MORNINGS A WEEK ABOUT 15 OF US AT 7;15AM.WALK PACIFIC BACH OR MISSION BAY WATCHING THE SWIMMERS &SURFERS. TWO BUSES ONE CALLED 'VAN-GO' TAKE US TO THE ART. MUSIC AND SOCIAL OFFERINGS IN BALBOA PARK COUNTY-WIDE PLAYS &SHOWS OFFERED WEEK BY WEEK.

I RECENTLY WROTE A PARODY FOR MYSELF & MY CLASSMATES ON THE BIBLE CHAPTER; FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:

I MAY HAVE TRAVELED WIDELY, SEEN MOST OF THE AMERICAN STATES, EUROPE, THE MIDDLE-EAST, AND THE EXOTIC PLACES ON THIS PLANET, BUT IF I HAVE NOT LOVE I AM A RATTLING PAN LIKE A CLASHING CYMBAL. I MAY HAVE MANY TALENTS, DEVELOPED ,NUMEROUS PRODUCTS, HELPED IN 4 WORLD WARS, ACCUMULATED SOME WEALTH COMPARED WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, BUT IF I HAVE NOT LOVE, I AM NOTHING. I MAY HAVE SETTLED ALL MY AFFAIRS, GIVEN MY CHILDREN GOOD EDUCATIONS AND THE HIGHEST OF PRIVILEGES; & EVEN HAVE DONATED MY BODY AT DEATH TO SCIENCE, BUT IF I HAVE NOT LOVE, WHAT GOOD IS IT?

LOVE HERE & NOW ENABLES ME TO UNDERSTAND IF MY MEALS ARE A BIT LATE; IF THE SMILING EMPLOYEES DO NOT DO AS GOOD, AS I DID IN MY DAY; AS A WAITER AND CLEANER-UPPER.

MANY OF MY BROTHERS & SISTERS HERE HAVE INFIRMITIES THAT KEEP THEM FROM CONFORMING TO THE HIGH STANDARDS OF CONDUCT, CLEANLINESS & COURTESY; IT CAUSES ME TO SPEAK KINDLY NOT SHARPLY NO MATTER HOW TENSE I MAY FEEL.

BECAUSE OF LOVE, I CAN REJOICE IN THE GOOD FORTUNE OF CLASSMATES THAT THEY TOO, HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED IN THIS MATCHLESS PLACE.

LOVE CAUSES ME TO FEEL HUMBLE, REGARDLESS OF THE UNIQUE BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE STEMMING FROM THE GRACE OF GOD.

lOVE TEACHES ME TO LISTEN CLOSELY IN MY DEAFNESS,& SPEAK COURTEOUSLY TO MY FELLOW JOURNEYERS WHOSE LIFE I TOUCH EVERY DAY.

I WILL NOT BE SELFISH, IRRITABLE OR HOLD GRUDGES AGAINST THOSE I FEEL HAVE BEEN 'PUSHY' & DEMANDING OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGES.

LOVE ENABLES ME TO LOOK FOR THE GOOD IN PEOPLE & EVENTS,& NOT TO REPEAT OR EVEN BELIEVE THE SLANDEROUS GOSSIP I MAY HEAR.WE ARE SO AMAZINGLY BLESSED. nO MATTER HOW SAD TINK[]GS ARE FOR A FEW SAD LONELY, BITTER PEOPLE...FOR THAT MATTER...IN THE MESSED UP WORLD OUTSIDE OUR PARADISE COCOON..WE'RE SQUANDERING OUR EMPIRE STATUS IN WAR..LOVE, ENABLES ME TO NEVER GIVE UP; ALWAYS HAVE AN UNFAILING HOPE & PATIENT FAITH, LIKE OUR COUNTRY'S FOUNDER'S AND WESLEY-PALMS fOUNDERS 42 YEARS AGO...

YES I AM A CONSTANT OPTIMIST. I THINK WE MODERN PEOPLE ARE ONLY IN THE ADOLESCENCE OF LIVING HUMANOIDS ON THIS UNIQUE PLANET

wE ARE BEGINNING TO KNOW THAT ALL HUMANS IN OUR WORLD ARE BROTHERS & SISTERS REGARDLESS OF MANIFEST & DIFFERENCES WE PROUDLY DISPLAY. THE PLAQUE IN OUR BALBOA MUSEUM ON 'MODERN MAN' SAYS WE ARE OVER 99% THE SAME 'BROWN&YELLOW, BLACK&WHITE'.

PRESIDENTS, PREACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF& WE OURSELVES WILL COME& GO. THERE WILL BE TIMES OF JOY& CELEBRATION, FUN& FELLOWSHIP AND TIMES OF SORROW, CHANGE & THE MISSING OF NEIGHBORS & CLOSE FRIENDS...THESE WILL ALL PASS AWAY S WE MAKE OUR MARK 7 WEAR OUT THE PLACE..tHESE WILL ALL PASS AWAY BUT ;LOVE WILL STILL BE VIBRANTLY EVIDENT. WE ARE ALL PARTS OF A WHOLE..WHEN A MORE PERFECT DAY ARRIVES ALL PARTIAL THINGS WILL BE SEEN AND APPRECIATED MORE PERFECTLY.

I AM A MORE MATURE PERSON THAN I ONCE WAS. I'VE PUT AWAY MANY CHILDISH WAYS OF SPEECH AND ACTION. I KNOW MY VISION NOW IS ONLY A PARTIAL IMAGE. I DON'T EVEN SEE AND HEAR EVERYTHING CORRECTLY.

THE ETERNAL GOD, ENERGY, ELECTRICITY, UNBEGUN BEGINNING & SUSTAINED OF ALL LIFE & THINGS WILL MAKE IT ALL CLEAR TO ME SOMEDAY.

IN THE MEANTIME CLING TO THE KNOWLEDGE THAT FAITH, HOPE, LOVE ARE EVER WITH ME HERE ON THIS HILLSIDE WHERE I AM CONSTANTLY SURROUNDED IN LOVE EXPRESSED BY SO MANY TOWARD ME...