(Submitted by Steve Long)
In late June my mom and I ventured up to northern Ontario. The trip was wonderful in many ways, especially as a reminder of the importance of gathering with family and friends. As VISA Card advertisements point out, what price tag can be placed on the value of dining with 33 Canadian kin? starting a wonderful night of Hootenanny music by singing national anthems of 7 countries represented by the participants? “having a coffee” with Canadian friends (the kids now know this is code word for spending several hours talking)? sharing time with family boating and fishing pristine waters in Algonquin Provincial Park (roughly two-thirds the size of Yellowstone)? PRICELESS.
My hope and prayer is that each of you readers will be able to experience and appreciate one or more similar activities this summer. Each act of making, capturing, organizing and sharing such memories allows for a genuine feeling and/or expression of gratitude in our lives.
An extra bonus on this trip came totally by surprise. While staying with Canadian cousins, I spied on their refrigerator a “Paramedic Information” card provided by their county EMS service. With their permission I took a look and was startled with how similar much of this was with Binder of a Lifetime thinking. Their “Paramedic Information” one page document contains information all in one place that would be ever-so-helpful should a health care emergency ever occur. Enhanced with key Binder of a Lifetime information, the Long Memories “Paramedic One-Pager” can now be found as a link here: www.BinderOfALifetime.com. Please check it out if you’re interested, and consider printing and filling out a copy(ies) for your family and other loved ones (NOTE: plans are to check with the Bowling Green Fire Department and BG Senior Center to see if this is something we might promote to the community at-large.) It’s never too early to give ourselves the bonus of preparation in such matters.
As we continue through summer and the extra minutes of sunshine that it affords, may we can give ourselves the bonuses of extra time with family and friends, plus preparedness in case of unforeseen health emergencies.
Enjoy the day…and the memories!
Steve Long, former BG resident and now living in Cincinnati, is an “aspiring memory missionary.” He and wife Kim are having fun with Long Memories efforts (www.LongMemories.info), focusing on helping others in “Making, Capturing, Organizing and Sharing Memories…Now and (Virtually) Forever!”
