"Good night and may God bless"

It's been an honor and a privilege to share a few moments with you each Monday for the past fifteen years.

During that time I've had to deal with some tragic events: school shootings, 9/11, the deaths of Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, tsunamis, Hurricane Katrina and two wars in Iraq. And, although not tragic, I wrote about some difficult times such as sending two kids off to college, turning 40 and then 50, gaining and losing and gaining weight, passing a kidney stone, and watching the last Seinfeld.

There were also major moral and ethical issues during the past fifteen years: the not so gay debate over same-sex unions, the euthanasia of Terri Schiavo, the flap over the pledge to the flag, prayer in school and the display of the Ten Commandments debates, and whether toilet paper should come off the top front or bottom back of the dispenser (top front is the correct answer).

But there were also joyful moments: our daughter's wedding, the birth of two beautiful grandchildren, the capture of Saddam Hussein, and the relief that Y2K didn't spell the end of civilization as we know it (anyone want to buy a never-out-of-the-box kerosene heater?).

And Washington D.C. always provided comic relief with the Clinton affair which I turned into a musical: "The Sound of Monica." And George W. was always good for a laugh with such faux pas as "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." I even ran for President in 2000 and actually received as many electoral votes as Pat Buchanan and Ralph Nader. There was never a lack of material from inside the beltway.

I also covered major news events such as Al Gore inventing the Internet, Barbie turning 40--and her breakup with Ken--the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction," her brother's trial, and of course National Toilet Day, which incidentally is November 19.

Hollywood provided plenty of material with the three Star Wars prequels, the bum-numbing Lord of the Rings trilogy, the passion" about Mel Gibson's movie, my debate with myself concerning Harry Potter: the Good, the Bad, the Muggly, The Doo-doo Code, and of course Scientologist Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch.

And don't worry about missing my annual predictions for the new year. Since December 2002, I've been making the very same predictions for each coming year. And each and every year, I'be been amazingly accurate. A famous Hollywood couple will split up citing "irreconcilable differences." A famous country-western singer will lose his wife, dog, and pick-up truck after a D-I-V-O-R-C-E. A high-ranking government official will resign following an infamous affair and/or politically incorrect joke. A major Fortune 500 company will file for bankruptcy protection after a top executive is accused of embezzling millions in company stock. Your computer will become obsolete. Wars and rumors of wars will continue to make headlines. I'll offend someone with something I write.

It's been fun, fulfilling and just a bit frightening when I was coming up on deadline and had absolutely no idea what to write. But after 780 columns, you and I both need a break.

Some of the best columns are archived at www.jameswatkins.com, so I'll still be around. I'll continue writing and speaking (a new book, Communicate to Change Lives, will be out early 2007 and another publisher is considering, When Life Gives You Lemons . . . Sell 'em on eBay). (And I hope I'll be able to file an occasional column when I feel the need to spill my spleen.)

So, thanks for reading. And thanks to Terry and Grace Housholder, George Haynes, and the KPC News family for giving me this soap box (I hope I haven't hurt circulation too badly).

And that's the way it is August 28, 2006. You've been a great audience! Take care of yourself and each other. Happy trails. Peace and love. Courage! May the force be with you. God bless America. Ten-4, good buddy. Hasta la vista, baby. Good night and good luck. I'll say good health, good life, and may God bless. I'm so glad we had this time together (Ear tug).

© 2006 James N. Watkins

Visit the archives for fifteen years of columns on family life, health concerns, holidays, politics [off site], social issues, spirituality, and more.



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