The Writer's Pen

Have you ever had times in your life that made you say, “What an adventure that was!” I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that some of my adventures came completely without warning while others came by design. Often the end result left me shaking my head, but sometimes it left me smiling profusely. I prefer the latter.

My life has generally been pretty low-key, depending who I compare myself to. I was a farm kid who never really traveled, and without television until age 11, my world was pretty small. I’m not sure how far I have advanced from those early years. I still don’t travel much, and even though I have a television and a computer, my world is still pretty small.

Among the adventures I remember growing up was riding a toboggan down the Ocheyedan Mound. That was always fun, as was hunting and playing baseball with some neighbor kids and my brother, Glen. More adventures came when I was old enough to drive. Glen and I tore up the roads in our little corner of the world, and also tore up the roads on a couple trips to Colorado.

Lots of adventures started happening after Rita and I got married and started a family. Among other things, there was the adventure of buying our first house – quite an ordeal for a young couple with a new baby! It was a new house with an unfinished basement and no garage. Figuring all of that out was an adventure in itself, as was caring for a new baby who couldn’t seem to adapt to new surroundings. I’m not sure either of us has caught up on our sleep from those days.

There were many adventures raising our three kids, and looking back, I know there were many things that left me shaking my head. Lots of things could have been handled differently, but all three kids participated in various school, church and YMCA events. They all graduated from Spirit Lake High School and went on to get college degrees. That statement alone makes me smile profusely!

We live a somewhat sedate lifestyle in our empty-nest years. We have grandchildren that are every bit as busy as their parents were at that age. We try to keep track of them, but since they don’t live close, we don’t see them as often as we’d like. Our 14-year-old granddaughters have played different sports since they were in kindergarten and we enjoy watching them when we can. Sometimes we can see them on YouTube or some other video stream. Though it isn’t always pretty to watch, I know we all consider their progression a grand adventure. Bring on the 10, 9 and 8-year-old grandsons!

A few things I’ve done in the last couple years could be considered adventures that made me smile. One thing was dove hunting with Glen. It was a first for me and I only hit about one in four shots, but had fun doing it. Another adventure I’ve experienced is mini-golfing with some church friends. Yes, I said mini-golfing. All of us occasionally golf on regular courses, but mini-golfing doesn’t take much time, and the winner gets to buy ice cream afterwards. So do I want the low score, or not?

Recently I started an adventure that is making me shake my head. Being in my 70s has been filled with experiences new to me. Doctors of all kinds seem to want me to visit them, but since I consider myself healthy and active, I try to avoid these visits. I’ve spent time in the ER in my working years, and always figured if something was wrong with me they should determine it while I’m there. But, my eye doctor says I may eventually need cataract surgery, my dentist doesn’t like the looks of my remaining wisdom teeth, my dermatologist keeps watching dark skin spots, and my chiropractor usually knows I need to see him before I do. My last physical showed my iron low and cholesterol high, and I was told I needed to have a colonoscopy. Avoiding doctors doesn’t seem to be working anymore.

I’m not sure when this adventure will end, but this colonoscopy is one I won’t forget. The day before my prep was to take place our sewer backed up. When I called our regular roto-rooter guy he informed me he was booked for two days. I was able to make the plumbing work well enough to handle my prep day – an adventure in itself – but we didn’t shower or wash clothes during that time. It was a long time afterwards before either of us could muster a smile.

I hope to have more adventures with my family and friends in my life – the ones that make me smile rather than shaking my head. I realize, though, that I will need to pay attention to my general health, diet and physical activities in order to see doctors as little as possible. When my final days come it would be great to smile profusely and say, “What an adventure that was!”

Roger Brockshus and his wife, Rita, live in Spirit Lake where they are mostly retired. Roger is a member of the Hartley Writers and Poetry Group.