Have you already read this?

John Denver sang, "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy..." That is exactly the way I feel today.

I had knee surgery last Wednesday. Nothing serious, just a clean up and a lube job. I was in by 10 and home by 1. A quickie. Not the usual kind, just the kind that makes you move better and enhances the output of endorphines. I was stiff for a while, but that has seemed to have worn off. Now I am back to my old, wacko self.

I found it funny, though, that as I was doing some research for my book, "As You Ramble On Through Life Brother" I discovered that as I was on the operating table in a death-like state, it was the anniversary of the death of my Grandfather, James R. Shields, whom I never met. Now, I have had a lot of surgeries, but for some reason, I was at peace before and after this one. Now I know why.

I truly believe in paranormal things. I mean, after all, I witnessed my mother talking to my dead father one evening as she lay in the hospital on a respirator fighting for her life. She fully recovered the next day and when I asked who she was talking to, she replied, "Your father" I reminded her that Dad had died and she said, "I know, he told me it was not time yet." And, I saw a teacher friend walk through the PBL High School gym just a few days after we held his funeral there. I yelled hello at him before I realized he was dead. He nodded back and kept on walking.

Ever have that feeling of having been there? Or having something happen that you remember already happening...Deja Vu...Maybe there was a hole in the time-space continuum and you leaped. Ever met someone that you felt immediately comfortable with...like you have met them before, or maybe been around them, but you know you have not? (insert Twilight Zone music here) Love at first sight... what is that all about? Is it really your first sighting of the person?

Here I am, in the Valley of the Sun with triple digit heat daily and short haircut. Maybe I have absorbed too much Vitamin D, or had my brain fried. But thinking about all the people I miss and will meet again, makes me happy.

Right now, some of you are thinking, "I read this already." Maybe you have.

Don Shields