Our Minister Emeritus, the Rev. Richard Leonard, will pass a major milestone in his life when he turns 80 on September 24. To mark this passage of time, he has written down some of his musings about that event in his inimitable style for the benefit of his children, grandchildren and future descendants. He has graciously agreed to share these thoughts with us, but since the manuscript is too long to publish here in its entirety, it will be made available in a separate pamphlet in the various publication racks in the church. To whet your appetite, here is a small sample:

“Have you wondered what it would be like to be 75 years old? Or 80? Or 100?

“When I was about seven, in the year 1934. I figured our that if I lived to be 73, I would see the turn of a new century, the year 2000. That seemed like a good thing to me, a double bonus—you live to old age and you get to write the date with all those 000s. Wow!”

“First of all, I have to say that I feel absolutely, completely to be the same person I was who stole my sister’s cookies when I was five years old. They say that people change as they get older, and they do. Their bodies change, they get new interests .One thing never, never changes. That is that they are the same person whom their grandmother held up in a grocery store to turn a light bulb on and off, plunging the store into darkness and then into light, darkness and light, my first memory.”

If you would like to know what other early childhood memories have survived 80 years of living for Dick Leonard, his amusing musings can be found in a publication rack or at the Front Office for your perusal.

Dick Leonard