Charles Fulton:  

So, what's it been, 30 plus years, and more wonderful years to go? Or another day closer to death? You chose. Me, here in sunshiny Tucson, Arizona, every day is a blessing. How come, you say? I'm not even 70 (this Feb), my mother died four Januarys ago, Dad died 10 years ago, my sister (66) died in April. I buried one wife 10 years ago, all killed off by Cancer, the big C. Me, I'm checked out. Doc says, I don't have enough to measure. Go figure. Never smoked, that's probably it. Never took street drugs...I know, I was the boring white kid in the corner. I digress, here I am in the sunny south west, check out the goofy hat. I wore it when I was teaching school over in Yuma (four years). Had the kids attention. It was my fifth career. Fifth!! Published writer was one, and now that I'm semi retired - I'm waiting to hear from Pima College to get re-hired as a tutor, I'm writing a book. I've never written one. I've published a lot of stuff all over, but never written a whole book, so, I hope for the best. So far, 5,000 words and climbing. Because of my heart attacks (2), I can't fly myownself anymore, so when I can I pay a pilot to slide over and let me do it. If you saw the movie "Flyboys" those are the kinds of planes I like to fly when I get my hands on them. I learned how to fly out at the West Chester airport before the Air Force taught me. What have I learned being in "business" since I left JB in January 58? Went through Wharton at U of P, started out through a bunch of jobs, zeroed in on airlines, hotels, mostly, ran a huge shopping mall, worked for a CIA contractor as a VP of "stuff" I guess you'd call it. What have I learned? As the tv Dr. House would say: everybody lies. I come away from all of it with this, if I had it to do all over again, I would find something to do that I really LOVED, would never ever leave it, no matter the money, and that would NOT be work. I would never, ever go work for someone I couldn't stand because the money was tempting. It would kill you in the end, nothing but regrets and ulcers. I never lied, but, I learned that you don't necessarily have to spill your guts with the truth either. There are people out there who "shoot the messenger." A famous Arabian Sharif once said, " if you speak the truth, you should have one foot in the stirrup." I found that to be true. The Roman General Marcus Aurelius was quoted as saying "I've often regretted my words - but never my silence." In short, I learned fast, when to keep my trap shut. I worked for many a boss who found uot HE or SHE was the last person to get the bad news. Get it? I used to regret parts of my experience, but now embrace it. I spent the better part of ten years with three indian tribes in Oregon. That 77,000 acre reservation in Central Oregon is the mos...Expand for more