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About Me
- R.K. Laughlin
- Graduated from Sandborn (Indiana) High School, Class of 1938. Enlisted in USAF in 1941. Received Silver Wings, Pilot Class 43-D. Pilot with Air Transport Command. Served in Africa, Middle East, China, Burma, and India. Married Lomie Tucker in 1944 -- celebrated 65 years of wedded bliss and still going strong! Daughter, Lola Kristina, born in 1952. Grandaughters, Adrian Xian, adopted from China in 1998 and Kate QuJie, adopted from China in 2000. After WWII, employed at General Electric FHP Motor Plant (Linton, Indiana). Retired 1979. Moved to Florida 1986.
This is very Zen, Ken. I might expand this to suggest that the secret to happiness at any age is being able to be alone without being lonely. We've lost the capacity for that, being so linked in with technology all the time--which creates a false sense of connectedness, in my opinion. A friend once told me that she didn't listen to the radio in the car because there was always so much noise and static around her all the time that she would never be able to "hear God." Whatever one's beliefs are, maybe we need that solitude in order to gain a sense of the larger design?
ReplyDeleteDad -- You and I are so much alike regarding our solitude and need for quiet space. Maybe it was part of being an only child...but I never felt lonely or bored. I always found things to do and -- from what I remember -- was very content with my "oneness." I believe the reason my house in the woods in Muncie was so precious to me (as you know, it was completely secluded by my 5 acres of woods and surrounded by another 50-100 acres of adjacent woods) was because it truly was my sanctuary. I bought it about 6 months before we got Xian Dong, but even with 2 kids there before moving to Fort Wayne, it was as close to Heaven on Earth as I can possibly imagine. I'd have to say my biggest regret in making the move to FW was leaving that place. I cried and cried the day the moving van came. I day-dream nearly daily about going over that little rise in the road that supports a railroad track and -- after crossing -- seeing those woods to the left and having such contentment at knowing I was home, physically and spiritually.
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