Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, when Pearl Harbor was attacked, I was a seasoned kid with fourteen years under my belt. From that day on, we kids knew that Uncle Sam would tap us on the shoulder sooner or later. He did.

I started college with a slide rule paid for by Uncle Sam. That was the closest thing to a calculator or a computer. And it cost the federal government maybe five bucks. Now kids start college with iPads, laptops, smart phones but no slide rules. Such a shame but they seem to survive.

Someone years ago tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would pen something for a webpage they were contemplating. After mulling it over for about five minutes, I consented but it took a lot longer to come up with a title for my columns. That happened also with the first book I wrote at the behest (a bid, not a command) of a publisher who asked me to update an outdated book published in MCMXLIII (1943).

I looked the book over, recognized the problems it covered in its 7 chapters and agreed to give it a try. It emerged as Letters to Chip in 1969. Here in part is what the late Dr. Paul S. Rees said in the Introduction: All I can do here is to say to the prospective peruser: Read! Read and smile. Read and drop a tear. Look for the angles. Catch the subtleties. Tune in on the overtones. Follow the developments. And?if it isn't too late?learn!

That was Once upon a time. And once upon a time I wrote Uncommon Prayers for Young Adults at Work (1978) which was reproduced in Great Britain under the title Prayers Under Pressure. Understandably so in Britain. Besides, I liked the title. And we lived happily ever after. Writing was never my specialty in any of my schooling. It happened when someone tapped me on the shoulder. Again and again. In short, if it isn't too late, please do not ignore those gentle taps on your shoulder that come your way. When someone or something gets your attention, give it some thought, then go for it. You may never know where it will lead but it can be rewarding to look back on your own moments of Once upon a time.