Ever since watching the video of Rod Stewart singing Forever Young, I have been haunted by the parallels of our lives. We are the same age, and we are both rooted in Scotland. While teaching or writing, I would listen to some of Stewart’s songs on YouTube. That is how I discovered the background of Forever Young. However, this parallel is how we both remember the past.

Stewart reminiscences about his early childhood. Those cherished memories become the backbone of his song of remembering the days way back home with his family. His song resonates with me, and it is haunting. Why, in my twilight years, does my mind drift back to a distant time? I have some answers, but I am still haunted. If I am able to get Rod Stewart to return with me to Myanmar (Burma) in just over a year, we can discuss his reflection that caused him to write this song. In the meantime, my hauntings have forced me to address my emotional reminiscences of my early childhood.

I was just born before my father was shipped to the South Pacific during WWII. My mother lived with me at her parent’s home in Merchantville, NJ. It was a difficult time for my family along with the rest of America. I still recall using ration tokens for food after the war had ended. It is interesting that those early years of my childhood are remembered as times of happiness and a sense of belonging despite the concerns of the war. That was precisely what Stewart’s song, Way Back Home, addressed.

However, my parents moved to Pittsburgh in the early 50s. In many ways, it was a time of far more challenges to my family financially and mentally. As a result, my mother developed lupus and my father had heart problems. For me, I was an above average student in New Jersey, but my parents moved to the 19th best school system in the country; I was challenged academically through high school and college in an attempt to return to the old days back in Merchantville. Those days in the past were my golden days of my early youth.

For the next couple of decades, my mother suffered from breast cancer, arthritis, and lupus. Surely, those years of suffering must have been a living hell for her. However, the happy days of New Jersey were gone for me also. It wasn’t long after I graduated from graduate school that my mother died and a decade and a half later my father died.

Interestingly, my father asked my two younger brothers and me what we wanted from our home before his death. I was the only one that asked for anything. I gave him a long list of what I called my treasures. My treasures were all from the time of living in New Jersey. I didn’t want anything that was added to our home while we lived in Pittsburgh.

Stewart and I remembered with happiness those early childhood years. I recall visiting Merchantville in the past decade, but things have changed. I can remember, but all the faces of my early years are long gone.

As Stewart forced me to think about times of fond memories of the past, I also danced with death twice in the past decade. Granted, I was successful leading Death of the dancefloor of life. Strangely, those two dances with death caused me to come alive. In my twilight years, my memories of the pleasant early times return to me as they still haunt me.

The other issue that radically changed my Weltanschauung was my two trips to Myanmar (Burma). It has been nearly five years since Moh Moh, my tour guide in Myanmar, introduced me to her nine-year-old daughter, Ti Ti. She wanted to play Scrabble with me. Talk about fond memories of the past.

We played Scrabble for maybe forty-five minutes in their living room, but that time began the process of discovering my three granddaughters in Myanmar. During winter break last year, I returned to see my family: Ko Ko, Moh Moh, Ti Ti, Snow, and Fatty. If my reminiscences of my own early childhood resulted in a warm glow of memories, the warm glow of memories in Myanmar are bright and intense glows in my twilight years.

My family in Myanmar has produced for me a profound purpose for me and what remains for me in my life. My family here in the States is doing well. My three children and my adult granddaughter have attended college and/or graduate school. My two much younger grandsons are just beginning elementary school. While I love and care about my family in the States, they all are doing very well.

As for my family in Myanmar, they too are doing well. Nevertheless, Myanmar is a newly emerging nation. If my family in Myanmar along with what I call my extended family, those students who are classmates of my granddaughters, all the students need to get a very good education. The best means of assisting their education in an emerging country is to provide 1250 laptops and improve the Internet service to their two schools. That is the first stage. Once I raise $500,000, We Are Family in Myanmar, Inc. will provide laptops for all the students in Taunggyi, Myanmar.

It has taken a great deal of time and effort to get ready for the first phase of acquiring 1250 laptops and money for better Internet service, it is worth it. During winter break in just over a year from now, I will find my way back home again…this time to Taunggyi, Myanmar. I will see again my family. I will laugh with them, play games with them, and just sit and talk with them. So, I will find my way back home to my family in Myanmar.

When my three granddaughters grow up, they will be able to sing along with Rod Stewart,

These are their days of fun times with me. Ti Ti and Snow will remember their times with PaPa Al. And Fatty will rememberBo Bo Gyi.

Now, you can help me by considering these three requests. If you do any of these requests, you will help 1250 students.

That being said, if you return with me, you may find a grandchild or two of your own. When you do, you will help your grandchild learn but also remember times with you. They too will be able to sing along with Rod Stewart,

Allow me to be as honest as possible. I have nothing, absolutely nothing that compares to finding my way back home in Myanmar.