Memories of May

It is now the end of May, which has been an interesting time for many of us. Perhaps not a great month for some, like the Palestinians in Gaza and some others across the Holy Land, but it has been all right for me. I have made a lot of new friends through work, which has been fun, and hopefully productive. I could wax on about this May 2021, but I will hopefully report more about his current month in the future months and years of my upcoming days.

Past Mays have their charms and forgotten memories, to use a phrase coined by my father that he penned in a book called "Lost Memory", an action tale about a man who cannot remember who he is or where he is, or why he does thing. Funny, I read the book but I cannot recall why his memory was erased.

Most of us have so much of our memories "erased" by natural attrition, so many of us like to recall the good and the bad of life by reminiscing, recording, or in some way tapping into our individual and collective memories of the past. Most of us know there are lessons to be learned (from the past), good and happy stories to share in order to liven up our own selves and collective meanings and significances, to ourselves and others, and recall the bad or painful to see how to improve, how to avoid such things, how to move on and live better, in most cases.

We carry with us memories, but we (most of the human race) forget so much. Rare is the person who can remember it all. Apparently there are a few wild ones who can recall everything. Even by date.

What were past Mays for me?

May 1989, finishing my last high school classes and preparing to travel to Spain. Preparing to go on a mission for my church, which call would arrive in July and to me in August.

May 1990, moving from Mulchen to the big city of Concepcion, Chile. Becoming a senior companion to Elder Trincado, living with the Solis family at the end of the dead end called Mahuzier.

May 1991, ensconced in the city of Angol, enjoying my time as Zone Leader of many missionaries, learning to get along with my new American companion Elder Potter from small town Shelly, Idaho.

May 1992, finishing my first semester of college at Indiana University, mixing socially with other college age adults, figuring out how to go about doing the classes at a good enough level but also planning my next move, which included moving away.

May 1993, successfully transferred to Provo, Utah, to be an undergraduate of Brigham Young University, transitioning from one student dorm with mostly freshmen to a summer dormitory with a greater mix of international students, getting to know a young lady as a girl friend.

May 1994, returned from study abroad in Chile to be back in Provo and prepare to live in the Arabic house by campus, waylaid by the Heritage housing, taking Arabic early mornings and enjoying the pleasant Utah summer.

May 1995, ending my studies at BYU with the upcoming study abroad in Israel and Palestine, seeing about visiting my sister in Miami but not doing that.

May 2000, ending the school year as a high school teacher in San Bernardino, happily engaged to my sweetheart, preparing for the wedding a little after my classes were to end.

May 2001, finishing my second year of teaching secondary education, my wife swollen with our first baby, ready for a summer of relaxing while getting ready for the new life of graduate school of UCLA, a move of some 75 miles away.

May 2013, abiding by the warmer days of a military base in a foreign land, working out at the gym and joining a basketball team, learning new skills and making due with the friendships that were available.

May 2017, working at a job that provided plenty of challenges, not too far away, figuring out side jobs and duties, helping the family as I could.

May 2020, working part time at the office, watching the boys play baseball ---NO! Pandemic. Past Mays. The kids were quarantined, I was mostly at home. I think my older son was working hard on a back yard pool with the others in tow.

Mays come and Mays go.

Let us remember the memories of May.

I am thankful for all mine.