Spire........

The continuation of a tree trunk above the point where branching begins, especially in a tree of tapering form.

Or, it could be an energy company that provides natural gas to customers in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Shortly after the cost of a roll of toilet paper quadrupled, and a plain ole 2 by 4 tripled  - this energy company more than doubled their rates, leaving us folks in the "You have got to be kidding" mode, so, Spire caused perspire, which in turn caused us to freeze our watoosies off 'cause there ain't nobody that can afford to pay their damn bill anymore, thus, "Honey, turn that thermostat down to fitty-nine wouldya?"

Aspire.  I love love loves me some aspiration. I sit, and will one day 'dust', in this good ole place of Missouri.  It's me.  It's what I aspire to do.  Friends.  It's so amazing to watch the lives of friends, and what has transpired in their lives.

You're in the Army now.  Many friends. Lived in more towns than are in Johnny Cash's "I've been everywhere" song. The aspiration to serve as well as the inspiration that comes with seeing the World. Spin the wheel, "Honey, we're moving to................... Germany, England, Korea, Japan, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Texas, California, South Carolina, Florida."  Adventure. Amazement.

Then, there's thems that conspire.  Conspire with their mates. Maybe the 'breadwinner' says "Baby, I've got a chance at promotion, let's move to Cincinnati." Or San Diego.  Or Spokane. Or Phoenix.  Causes one to respire, take onea them dry 'gulps' and squeak out "OK."  (Breadwinner, btw, supposedly originated in England in the 1820's, and was the person who brought home the bulk of the money, thus, bringing home the bread.)

Then there's thems that wanna be reinspired.  "Honey, it's getting old living here in Misery, let's strike out."  "Well, OK.. where to?"..  "Whadda ya think about Idaho Falls, ID?  Or, mebbe Austin, TX? What about Eureka Springs, Arkansas?  We could live on Tulsa time? Reno, Nevada, or even Minden. Colorado Springs, I've always loved Colorado, and, we could go anytime to a dispensary to get goodies to help with my neuropathy."

Exciting, to me, to observe. Follow, admire your journeys. You done aspired, perspired, conspired, were inspired, had to stop from time to time to respire - then you continued life, just above that tree trunk where it starts branching out.

Even got friends who just returned from a 6 month snowbird in Puerto Penasco Mehico - and the plan is to one day be a bird there fulltime, not a snowbird.  Yummy, far out. Friend says "Vic, you can come here, get a small place ON the beach, $400 a month, includes rent, utilities, yada.. dine out on meals $6, haircut $5, I know you love Modelo Negra, they're only $2 here."  Brb, packing my bags.  JK.  I have six beautiful blue eyeballs here that I must enjoy, see, frequently, in this "Winter" of life - but, sure, tempting.

We all are, still, connected to this Center of the US place. Fun though, to stare at the huge ole map of the USA (and now Mehico) and put sticky pins in places where a piece of our heart now resides.

I live here by Choice.  (Poor joke.  I live two blocks from a Fraternity brother, last name Choice.) But I do, I choose to live here.  Just me.  Many of us still do.  Many don't as well.

In a 1952 (coincidentally the year of my birth, many of you too I'm sure) interview, Red Skelton was talking about TV, and it's the first time for this expression.  "Don't worry about TV.  It's the greatest thing since sliced bread." Thanks Red for penning 'the greatest thing since sliced bread.'

Then there's ole Otto Frederick Rohwedder. Who? Otto was born in Davenport, Iowa in 1880.  After formal schooling, he began work as a jeweler.  Eventually, he owned three jewelry stores.  But, he, like many above, aspired for more.  He was an inventor at heart. He tinkered with much.  He wanted to invent a bread slicing machine.  With a leap of faith, he sold all three stores, created a promising prototype - then devestation happened, his factory burned to the ground and along with it his blueprints and his prototype.

He still aspired.  He respired.  Sighed (suspired).  And lo and behold, by 1928 he'd done it.  He then sold his machine to a feller named Frank Bench or Missouri.  Making a short story long, in 1928, the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, where the Chillicothe Baking Company was located, published an ad "Sliced Bread is made here." The first reference to sliced bread, and yes, that is Chillicothe, Missouri.

So, it took me great perspiration to get here, where I must announce, Missouri is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it was made here first!

I forgot to ad a map and a stick pin of France. You see, we have a friend from our hometown, she aspired, and did it, to move to France, and become one of the top breadmakers in all of the World. She teaches others the tricks to her trade now. She aspired, she rose to the occasion, sorry, poor joke #2.

Life, like bread, is so very wonderful, no matter how, where, you cut it. I love watching your adventures and am proud to say we came from "the same tree." If you're ever in town, holler, we'll break bread. 

By Henry Gibson             Forward by Rand McNally

Love, Victurd