50

     

     June 1, 1973. Yes! 50 years ago this month! That was the day my family moved from Chatham, New Jersey to Smithtown, NY. My father worked for RCA in Harrison, NJ and his company was about to close down. He found a job at a company called Amperex. My Dad worked as a Mechanical Engineer. I will never forget getting into my grandfathers orange Dodge Dart in Secaucus, NJ along with my sister and brother and, of course my grandparents. We had to say goodbye to our New Jersey friends and begin a new life on Long Island. My brother and sister and I were not thrilled about moving to be honest. I was 9, my sister was 11 turning 12 in July and my brother was 7. It was the start of a whole new life for my family. It took me quite a while to adjust to life here in New York. It's hard to believe it was 50 years ago!

     So much has happened in 50 years but the one thing that surprises me the most is one thing. I AM STILL LIVING ON LONG ISLAND. Trust me when I say if I had a dollar for every time I said I  wanted to leave I would honestly be a millionaire. God has me here for a reason and I know the work He has for me is not complete! In 50 years I had the privilege of growing up on Long Island, experiencing the beaches, getting to know the kids in my neighborhood, graduating Smithtown High School West in 1982, working at a church in Smithtown as a children's pastor, raising a family here and best of all being raised in a christian home with a family that loved me and knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior. 

     I also experienced some hardships as well. My father went home to be with the Lord in 1995 which was very hard on my family. In 1976, my father lost his job and my parents were considering moving back to New Jersey but God had other plans. My father being unemployed was hard on my Mom and especially hard on my father. But in the end we all pulled through and got through it! All in all I am happy I can celebrate 50 years of living here. Most of my friends and family have headed elsewhere...PA, FL, NC, SC and GA. I am happily serving the Lord in Rocky Point and doing what I love. A part of me sometimes wonders what would have happened if we never did move. How would we all turn out? I will never know that answer but I do know that we all followed God's Will for our lives and that is something I always want to do. 

     So here is to another 50 years of me living on Long Island! Well, maybe not. Ill be 109 then and I don't think the average American lives that long!

THANKS OR READING AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!