“If there be righteousness in the Heart, there will be Beauty in the character.  If there be Beauty in the character, there will be Harmony in the Home.  If there be Harmony in the Home, there will be order in the Nation.  If there be order in the Nation, there will be Peace in the world.”
                                                             - Confucius

As the first flakes of winter begin drifting gently to earth, we stare at the tangle of lights on the floor, the result of one cat’s desire to redecorate the Christmas tree; and in the quiet of early morning, we slowly sink into our annual reflection on the year gone by, thinking fondly of unseen friends far away but nevertheless held close in our hearts. 

The year has not been unkind; nor has it been uneventful.  Amidst economic chaos, two wars we too seldom think about and the ever increasing encroachment of passing years, we have much for which we are thankful.  Chief among these are you who have touched our lives over the years.

The year began with my knee surgery.   Two arthritic knees that retained very little of their original cartilage had reduced my walking to a painful, oftentimes nearly impossible, undertaking.  So, on February 12, both joints which had been mine since birth were replaced with man-made titanium substitutes and I joined my wife, who had her left hip replaced in 2004, as a member of the aging bionic set.  After a five-hour surgery, four days in the post-surgical unit, one week in the rehab hospital and two months of outpatient rehab, I returned to work full time.  After one more month, I gave up my cane and I’ve been virtually pain free ever since. The only down side has been that, absent the knee pain, my mind is now free to focus on the other aches and pains that come with the passing years.

My wife continues teaching at a local college where, after my recovery, I spent several weekends constructing a new work area for her in her cubbyhole “office.”  Together, we did a pretty good job stretching her available workspace beyond the limits one would expect from such a small area.

The kids are still gainfully employed – one at UPS; one at a local bank.  Given the economic hardships faced by so many of the population, we are all thankful none of us is counted in the monthly unemployment statistics.

In August, I had the opportunity to participate in a vital project being conducted by the Library of Congress, the Veteran’s History Project, by giving a one-hour interview recounting my Vietnam experience.  Eventually, the  interview will be part of the Library’s resources that will “make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.” 

I found the exercise extremely moving and was been motivated by it to begin a second blog (Thunder Road Anthology) to further record some of my memories of my time in Vietnam.  Still in its infancy, my hope is this venue will eventually contain the essence of that book I have never been able to write. 

My wish for you is a peaceful Holiday Season, health and prosperity in 2010 and the comfort of loved ones, both near and far, surrounding you. 

Merry Christmas.
Dennis Perkinson