Paul Burnham:  

I had another account where I had entered all of my information, but I forgot the password. Looks like I'm now stuck with this one. I was born in Sacramento, and right away got off on the wrong foot. But what do you expect? How would you feel to be pulled by your head from a nice comfortable enviornment by some big giant and whacked on the bottom? I couldn't reach him to hit him, so to show my displeasure, I held my breath. I was gong to show that big bully that I just wasn't going to take that kind of treatment lying down! Upside down maybe, I didn't have much of a choice. I held my breath until I turned blue. Well, you know what that big bully did? He put me in solitary confinement in this tiny box with tubes running in it. That was a long time ago, so I don't rightly recall how long I was locked up, but eventually I was released to the custody of my parents. Nothing like getting off on the wrong foot. I've never been locked up since. Maybe I've been lucky. Around three or four, my parents gave me a kids tool set because I liked helping my Dad. The tool set had a hammer. I loved that hammer! Especially the pretty tinkling sound it made when it connected to neighbors windows and car headlights. The neighbors weren't too fond of that hammer though. I wonder if that is why we moved to a different neighborhood? Don't really recollect the timing involved there. I wonder if hammers and windows are something genetic with first born Burnham boys? I found out that my oldest son, Donovan liked breaking windows with a hammer too. His excuse was the same as mine; he liked the sound of tinkling glass. I don't recollect my two brothers ever doing that, or any of my other kids. We lived in Sacramento until my first grade year, and then moved to Bellevue, Washington. We settled on a circle called "Holliday Hills". We lived in the second house from the top on the right side. In the middle of the circle on the right side there was a vacant lot that led to about 5 acres of woods. There were woods down an embankment at the top of the circle, and woods behind the houses on the left side of the circle. It was a kids paradise in the days that Walt Disney was airing Fes Parker as Davey Crocket. All of us kids had our coon skin hats and would disappear into the woods after school and on weekends. We were fearsome Indian fighters. The proof is that none of our homes were ever attacked in the three years I lived there. It's been 50 years since I lived there, and it blows my mind that the log cabins in those woods were probably lived in 50 years prior to us moving there. So much has changed. In 1959, the family moved back to Sacramento, and settled in Carmichael. I lived there through two years of college at ARC, and then served a mission for the LDS church in France. There is an interesting story in that too. That was back in the era of the Viet Nam War and only so many young men could go on missions from one Ward (parish) at any given time. There was a kid slightly younger than me that had studied French for 6 years, had bought his scriptures in French, and the missionary discussions in French. He had already memorized three out of the six discussions. He was sent to Japan, me with no French, was sent to France. I guess God knew that I would need to know French to meet my future wife. When I left for my mission, I had a very strong feeling that I wouldn't be returning to California. Sure enough, half way through my mission, the family moved to Bountiful, Utah. Kind of strange coming home to a place you had never been to before. Well, I take that back. Back when I was about twelve, I went to Lagoon, an amusement park in Farmington, with my cousins. But still, I didn't know anyone there. My parents found a reserve unit for me to join, and I was sent to basic training about four months after my return. When I got back from basic I found that the unit was going to summer camp in two months. One year of school shot. The next year I attended the University of Utah, and then Brigham Young. I met my wife at a French Club Halloween party. I like to tell people that she came as a witch and I've been under her spell ever since. She would say that she didn't wear any costume, and I would reply "what did I tell you?" She hit me in the arm the first time I said that, now she just rolls her eyes. We have four grown kids, and four grandkids. We "Mormons" believe that the president of our church is a prophet of God. The prophet back in 1973 was Spencer W. Kimball. He gave a talk where he said that any returned missionary that had reached the age of 25 without being married wasn't living his religion. Well, I had ten months to go with no prospects in site, so I prayed. I told the Lord that I was willing to follow the counsel of his prophet, but I needed some help. I asked him to help me find the right girl and to know it when I found her. Two weeks later I met Danielle. At the end of the Halloween party, I asked if anyone needed a ride home. This beautiful French girl with big brown eyes and long dark brown hair came forward and said she thought she might. When I looked at her, the strongest sense of familiarity came over me. In talking with her though, I found that we could not have possibly met. Then these exact words popped into my head; "Your prayer has been answered, you have just met your wife." It was unmistakable and powerful. As of August 15, 2016 we will have been married for 42 years. No man has ever been blessed with a finer wife. I have worked as a programmer analyst for the State of California for 26 years now, and hope to retire in another 4 months . . . at the end of August. What do I enjoy doing? Well, I used to love skiing, but it's too expensive now and my wife doesn't ski. It would cost me over $200 for one day and that would only be for myself. Danielle and I love movies. Westerns are always good, and old movies with a good moral to them. I like some sci-fi too and action films. I don't like too much violence though. I also ...Expand for more