Trending
Curt Turns 78, Life is Great!
An orange sunrise, to rival the Buck Full Moon, greeted me on Tuesday, July 28, like the Signal Corps sending a message, "It’s Curt’s birthday, he’s 78 and feels great, dang straight!" I knew it was going to be a spectacular day when I saw a finch at our window feeder feeding his or hers two baby finches thistle seed. I didn’t know finches could do that, and took it as a good omen of the day to come: feeding new life. The two fledglings fluttered their wings and opened their tiny beaks in anticipation of the nourishment to come. So cute, a blessing of love at our picture window.
I pulled myself out of the recliner and stiff walked to our exercise room. Twenty miles on the stationary bike would sweat the kinks out of these 78-year old joints, by golly.
Ginnie was taking me to the IMAX Theater in Des Moines to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, an epic tale where Odysseus (Matt Damon), the Greek King of Ithaca, undergoes a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War to reunite with his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and encounters mythical beings on his journey, a story of life itself. Isn’t it? We all meet mythical beings on our journey.
It was Ginnie’s and my first experience at an IMAX Theater and befitting of a birthday special treat. The Odyssey is three hours in duration without an intermission and, miraculously, Ginnie and I both sat spellbound without running for the bathroom. How? I dunno. Enraptured by the mythology, ginormous screen and vibrating seats, perhaps.
But before we departed it was gift time. A new desk chair was awaiting me, as the old desk chair was shedding its vinyl skin and sticking to me like a skin disease. Ginnie was tired of finding flakes scattered about the house.
Following The Odyssey it was supper (dinner for you city folks) at the Machine Shed in Clive, a first for me. Something funny was bound to happen on a celebration day such as this, and I wasn’t disappointed. Following our meal, we both used the restroom. In passing, each thought the other had paid the bill. As we were driving out of the parking lot, our waiter, Randy, in bib overalls, ran out and intercepted us, waving the ticket. "You didn’t pay your bill!" Ginnie, embarrassed and red faced, since it was her treat, had to tuck tail and slink back into the restaurant and face the music. Of course I heckled her mercilessly. I told Randy he should have called the cops.
BTW: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and I share the same birthday. There were so many well wishers on social media. How did I get so many friends? Such a blessing!
The IMAX Theater wasn’t the blow-me-over experience I was expecting, but it was still unique and fun. If you can’t make it to an IMAX Theater, don’t hesitate to see The Odyssey at a regular theater. The Machine Shed was fun, too. It’s right beside the Living History Farm in Clive where I ran a 5k once--through the mud, a creek and over barriers. Geesh!
One more thing: at the IMAX Theater, we sat beside two young men, maybe in their early twenties. I brought a blanket in with me to the IMAX, thinking it might be cold. I didn’t need the blanket, but I noticed the young man beside me curling up like a farm cat on a frosty morning. I offered him my blanket. He politely declined. However, at the end of the movie, as he was leaving, he turned to me and quietly said, "God bless you." So nice. Blessings travel around the world, sometimes faster than you think.
Ginnie and I arrived home in time to watch the Indiana Fever wallop the Seattle Storm--a perfect ending to a perfect day. We didn’t get to bed until after 10:00 p.m. Mercy! Life is great at 78!
------------
Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.