MUMBLINGS April 28, 2005

Visiting India did not receive great enthusiasm in some areas. I am speaking mainly of my wife, Karlene, who does not like the idea at all, nor does my traveling companion, Matt Metcalfe. Interestingly, many people from Baldwin have been to India, some as soldiers during WWII. One of these is Albert Ankum of Latham. He says he was in India during war time and liked it. Although in ailing health, I think he would like to go back. He is my age.

Whether I will get to go or not still remains to be seen. Some will admit I do not give up easily but I lose a lot of fights and this may be one.

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Confessions of a world wide traveler:

In visiting 100 countries throughout the world over a period of the last 40 years, I have encountered many pleasant trips, seen many beautiful sites, learned much history and information about the various countries. However, everything was not always perfect. I had some accidents.

Most all of these have been in the last seven or eight years. I will not try to give the exact date but we were preparing to fly to Memphis out of Mobile to meet friends where we would drive to Branson, Missouri. Going down, getting ready to get on the plane we had to descend several flights of steps to ground level, as it was a small jet. Foolishly, I had bags in each hand and started down, slipped and fell for about 15 steps. Results were I broke eight ribs, one tailbone and one shoulder blade. This was fortunate, as it could have killed me. Luckily, I recovered without serious pain and results.

I didn't even think about suing because of two reasons… one, it was my fault, two, my company had designed the terminal, including the steps down. The steps were ok; I just had no business having both hands full where I couldn't grab the rail. As a result of this, the Mobile Airport Authority put in an elevator.

Later, on a trip to Australia, which took 34 hours to return home, I bent sideways which resulted in the most excruciating pain imaginable. It was so painful that we called the medics in Los Angeles. I was able to get on the plane with horrible pain from Dallas to Mobile. I had to use a wheelchair to get around and arriving home, I went to see a doctor who told me to be patient, rest and then it will be ok. It was in three or four days.

Later while traveling with Metcalfe in Central America, we were staying at a nice hotel in Honduras. Walking across the huge lobby I did not see a four-inch drop off and the results were devastating.

Some of you have had such incidences where you start running, trying to catch your balance. I tried unsuccessfully and hit the marble floor about 20 feet away and it literally salivated me.

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Continued

The hotel doctor examined me and declared no broken bones. It was at night. I certainly did not want to go to a hospital in that country and fortunately, we had tickets early the next morning to return home and I was determined to come. Knowing, I did not want to be hospitalized there and also realizing that if I did not leave within a few hours I would be so sore I wouldn't make it. I was able to get on the plane, get home, went to the doctor and went to the hospital in Bay Minette were I spent two nights with good treatment. It was decided that I had gallbladder trouble and would need an operation.

My doctor son, Wade insisted that I go to Mobile and let one of his friends operate on me, which I did. As a result, I had my gallbladder completely removed. It was painful and I had to remain in the hospital for about 12 days before recovering. I had a huge gallstone but it was so big that the doctor said it would never bother me because it was too big to get caught up in the drainage tube where most damage is done with bits of stones or small stones. But it didn't matter; I had to have the whole thing removed anyway.

During our last trip overseas to Poland, Turkey, Republic of Georgia, Hungary etc, everything went fine until our return trip. Flying from Europe to Chicago on American Airlines, we got in late and the hotel where we were scheduled to stay was full, but they gave us a suite for free. Unfortunately, my room was not a handicap room. Whenever possible, I stay in a handicap room, obviously for the reason of protecting me from falling. Karlene had made me promise not to take a bath in a shower or tub if it were not handicap. Anyway, I thought I could make it, but didn't. I slipped getting out, holding on to the bathroom curtain, which I thought was sufficiently anchored… it wasn't. I slipped and grabbed for it but it gave way and I busted my back, leaving a big red blotch on the left side of my back. The tub was so slick with soap I could not get up at all. Finally, banging on the wall, Matt heard me and came to help me.

Karlene saw the big red spot and naturally was inquisitive. I tried to simplify it by saying I had slipped and hit it and that it was not painful, which it wasn't. Eventually, she found out what happened, as I had told a friend who told her. It's difficult for us husbands to learn that our wives are smarter than we think.

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I still want to go to India, I promise to be careful.

See you again soon, I hope.