I guess the beginning started the summer of 2021 when I caught COVID-19. This disease totally changed everything about my life. At that time, I was working at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the Office of Special Education where I primarily worked on the development of the Virtual Learning Platform. I had several projects in the works. I had daily virtual meeting with the management team and with our primary developer Leader Services. Everything was going well until it wasn’t.

When COVID first came out, I didn’t give it much thought. I knew being 64 I was in a higher risk category, but my wife and I stayed pretty much to ourselves, avoided crowds, shopped when stores first opened in the morning, etc. We both started showing symptoms at about the same time. My wife was tested first and was positive. When her results came back, I immediately was tested and found positive.  

I received exceptional care at the Harry S. Truman VA Hospital in Columbia, MO. In truth, I didn’t give them much to work with. I came to the hospital hypoxic and all but died. But due to the great care I received, I pulled through.

Over the next few months, we began to realize the ramifications of the disease. I couldn’t speak clearly, I could only focus on work a few minutes at a time, I looked at some of the previous work I had done in SQL  and wondered who had developed it. It became clear that I needed to retire. I applied for disability, but since I was working — making too much money — I wasn’t eligible.

 So on March 1, 2022 I retired. It’s funny when you retire people are full of advice. Things like: ways to spend your day, what to focus on, be sure that your time is structured, etc. And everyone meant well. But these are thing I needed to figure out on my own — with the help of family. 

I started my adult life in Orlando at the Recruit Training Command (R.T.C.).  After boot camp, I was stationed at the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois. After a few months, I returned to Orlando to attend Nuclear Power School and, as it turned out, to get married.

Trip to Florida

 In April, Linda and I took a trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida. The trip was intended to help me rediscover and to perhaps refine my foundation.  This was the first real getaway that we had on in a number of years.

Planning started around the first of October, 2021. 

We wanted to see if: 

• Our first apartment was still standing
• Our first church was still open
• What happened to R.T.C.

Additionally

• Spend a lot of time on the beach
• Put the last few months into perspective
• Enjoy each other

Pictures from the beach

Pictures of first church and apartment

Pictures from R.T.C.

Boat Ride

Last day at the beach

On the way home we stopped at the USS Alabama Memorial Park

It was during this period, I began talking with Linda about future plans. I mentioned chickens. We could buy a coup. Pick out some pullets and we should be able to have eggs in a few months. Truth be told all I knew about raising chickens were childhood memories from my Grandpa Wright’s place. Linda’s immediate reply was “No! They are too flighty for me.” I knew better than to press the issue.

A little later I mentioned bees. Linda didn’t say much. And that’s were we ended up.

Last Modified