Before reading this blog page please watch this introduction video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9uOPHIxd2E
“Bobbie,” my beautiful young friend Burlita said, “I want to fly to Florida for a long week-end fun trip and I want you to go with me. I know you have no reason for not going.”
She was right; there was nothing I could come up with to stay home. It was Spring of 2003 and in September of 2002 I had retired from my job of approximately 30 years, so I couldn’t use work as an excuse. In October of 2002 my husband had passed away, so I couldn’t use the excuse of being needed at home. I tried to come up with a reason for not going, but finding none I reluctantly said yes. I’d never flown before so once I gave up trying to find an excuse for not going, I began getting excited about the opportunity to fly for the first time.
“OK,” I said, “I’ll go, but I don’t want to have to take care of anything. You have to book our flight, purchase the tickets, reserve our hotel room and rental car, take care of everything and let me know the total cost and I’ll reimburse you half.” And that’s just what she did.
I loved the flight and was glad it took only a few hours in the air to reach Daytona. For my first flight, being confined even for only a few hours was long enough. We arrived and spent our first couple days enjoying the sand, the sun, and lazing around the pool. About the third day we awoke to grey skies and drizzle. “We’re not going to let a little grey skies stop us,” she said, “we’ll just go sight-seeing. Let’s drive down to St. Augustine.” So that’s what we did.
Along the way I saw signs about Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth and it sparked a memory for me. “I remember being in first grade and studying about the Fountain of Youth.” I said. “I can even still remember the picture of an Indian talking with the Spaniard as they stood in front of a small pond of water. For some reason, that story always intrigued me. I often wondered “what if” you could simply drink and remain youthful. Now, here I am so close to the fountain we studied about when I was only six years old.”
“Then we need to go visit,” she replied. And so we did.
I remember her teasing me as I stood in line to sip from the fountain. “You know, if you go to the ladies room and turn on the faucet it’s the same water, right,” she teased. I told her I may never be this way again and I wasn’t going to take any chances and miss out on what could be my one opportunity to grow younger. We each bought our little souvenir bottle of fountain water to bring home. Actually, I bought me an extra bottle – I have it in my cabinet in the kitchen right now. If you get the chance to stop by and visit me mention it and I’ll show it to you – but I won’t share it with you – it’s mine.
The reason I won’t share is because of the wonderful memories this little bottle of water from the Fountain of Youth holds for me and how it signifies my beginning on my journey to become “Younger by the Day.”
I am so very thankful, for many reasons, that my beautiful friend, Burlita, wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer when she asked me to go on that trip with her – one, because of where I am today which has been a journey that began with that trip, and the main reason being, my beautiful friend, Burlita, will remain forever young in my memory because some months after our trip she was killed in an auto accident – she was only 38. Thank you, my beautiful angel, for starting my footsteps down a pathway that’s lead me to enjoying life.
It is my practice to begin my mornings by reading some inspirational or motivational passage followed by prayer and meditation of at least 10 to 15 minutes. One year for Christmas I was given a book entitled, “Younger by the Day”
- (Thanks, Chiquita, for giving me this book)
which is a book designed for daily inspirational readings, so that’s how I used it. For a period of at least one year I would read the designated devotional which in one way or another was instruction, information, or advice for growing younger (i.e., taking better care of yourself)..
As evidenced by the introduction video on this blog page, I am accomplishing ‘growing younger’ – just as predicted would happen when I visited the Fountain of Youth. But, how exactly, did I receive such youthful results when countless others visit the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida, annually, yet fail to achieve the youthful results I’ve achieved?
Of course, St. Augustine, Florida, is the location my experience with the Fountain of Youth began. However, I don’t believe the physical location had anything to do with the results. I believe the youthfulness is a result of the things on my mind during that visit – the excitement I felt being in this ‘historical’ place I had memories of studying about and asking my ‘what if” questions while sitting in that first grade class in Burgin, KY.
Was it a coincidence that soon after my visit to the Fountain of Youth I received the “Younger by the Day” book to read daily? Did reading that book put ideas, thoughts, words of youthfulness in my mind? When you ‘set your mind to it’ doesn’t it manifest? See where I’m going here?
So, as promised, I’m going to tell you EXACTLY where you can find the Fountain of Youth, and anything else you seek, “IT’S LOCATED RIGHT THERE INSIDE YOU.”
Of course, I haven’t made to the lingerie model stage yet, but who knows, I think about it, and believe all things are possible. That, of course, will be a future blog.
Bobbie Thompson
