As I write this Introduction,I will inform you that I am 84 years of age young.Why young? People who meet me often ask me my age and are always amazed how well I look for my years.They want to know how I am able to stay looking like I am sixty.I simply reply:I don't drink,I don't smoke,and I takr many vitamins including the vit E and once aday i take flaxceed in the morning and i take apple vinegar cider 3 times a day.I have been in a twelve-step program for 44 years,and this helped me to arrest my drinking- one day at a time.That is my formula for staying young in body and spirit.
I am not a crackpot.That is my opinion.Now,my ex-wives and close friends think otherwise.They are entitled to their opinions.
I am q college graduate and a Certified Public Accountant.I don't practice anymore because I am retired.I have held many executive jobs in my business career.The last twenty-eight years before retirement,I held high jobsin banking.I am proud of my career.I had always known that i wouldn't become a Chief Executive Officer or President.Some people thought I was a qualified for these lofty positions.I knew that I wasn't.I call myself an emotional cripple:my temper sometimes gets unleashed at the wrong time.I was told that I was brilliant but that my emotions were in need of taming.One of my employers wanted me to go to Harvard Graduate School yo work on refining my emotions.I said,"Thank you,but no thanks!"
Why do i tell you these things about myself? Hopefully before you read this book you will realize that I'm not a crackpot--whatever my ex-wives may have told you.
You see,the title of this book is "Miracles,Luck or what?" If I don't explain some of my background you may not want to read on. Maybe some of you wonder why I waited so long to write this book.Answer.I didn't think about it.Then I heard Pat Robertson the Evangelist wrote a book about miracles.That got me to thinking: I have had a very interesting life. I started going over my life, and I came up with thirty-two strange episodes in my life. I began to ask myself: what a bunch of strange stories --was there a common thread behind them?
So,I started writing "Miracles,Luck or What?" I have dicussed some episodes presented here with friends.They suggested that something strange was going on in my life (past and present), maybe something spiritual. Now, I am not a religious person; I don't attend any particular church. I was raised Catholic and had sixteen years of Catholic education. Somewhere in my life twenties I began to question the Catholic Church. In my opinion,it controls its followers through fear: that if you break the commandments you will forever burn in hell. I can't buy that. I do have a God or Higher power in my life. My God is loving,forgiving,and guiding. I don't argue with different religions. I have my beliefs,and I respect everyone else's opinions.
Before we go any further let me give you my understanding about what a miracle is and what is meant by luck.
A "miracle" is a wonderful and surprising happening.
"Luck" is what happens to someone who is positive in their outlook in life.
The reason I am calling this book "Miracles,Luck or What?" is simple.I want the readrs to discover for themselves the nature of these episodes.The readers will decide for themselves.
Whatever the readres decide I hope they will find the stories interesting. Also, I don't think I have concerned the market on miracles or luck.
I will point out that before readers decide I hope they will find the stories interesting.I have had four marriages, which all ended in divorce.It took me four marriages to understand that I was the problem.
As far as gambling goes. I never hit that Big One, which would have put me on Easy Street.Luckily, I have not gambled in many years.One of my individual stories will explain the circumstances that occured that brought me to my senses about gambling.
As you read the stories I will advise you I have no witnesses to these events.As they occured oved the years I wasn't thinking about getting witnesses. It wasn't not until years later that I put these events on paper. If there had been only a couple occurrences you could say: "No big deal." Put more than thirty together, and you don't just have isolated events,but a pattern.
Finally, I don't think that I am special. I believe mqny people have had miracles in their lives. I have taken time to share mine in writing. Others may just have not raken time to do so. As I have found out being 84 years old is not too late.
I hope that you enjoy my stories here in "Miracles,Luck or What?"
