A good friend of mine sent me an email a few days ago checking in on me.

It has been a few months since I put up any new content and for that, I apologize.

It has been a while since I had the time or energy to write so I thought I should catch you up on what’s been going on. As some of you know, I had some health issues that are related to my previous service. I’ve spent more time than not visiting health care providers and a few minor surgeries. The good news is that the suspected issues have not come to fruition and hearing the words “not cancer” has never been a sweeter sound. I suppose that could change in the future, but for now, I am riding on a high.

The CMO, (Chief of MacPherson’s Operation) and I decided to put our house on the market in Pennsylvania and that resulted in an offer we couldn’t refuse. We are supposed to close in late August so we will be finishing up on our downsizing mission before then. Hard to believe two people could accumulate so much junk. Hopefully what’s salvageable can find good homes since I don’t feel like paying for it to be carried to our new home.

So where is that new home?

Glad you asked. We are about to become the newest members of the Charleston South Carolina area.

Not in Charleston itself but in a 55 plus gated community outside of the town. The area of Summerville fits our needs and our budget so that will be our landing spot. I am looking forward to spending more time writing and enjoying life and less time keeping up with a house and yard that had become more of a burden than a blessing.

There are many new adventures waiting for us there. South Carolina is one of those places we had visited but never had time to really explore some of the rich history. That is exciting enough by itself. But the real bonus for me is finally having a home base for my submarine veteran activities. My experience in our Pittsburgh base had been tainted for a number of reasons and I learned a few lessons along the way. I hope to have a more positive experience here and will do my part to make sure that happens. SO far, the guys that I have met and interacted with have a real understanding of what a submarine veterans’ organization should be.  Hopefully that will hold true as I make the transition. I’m also looking forward to finding an American Legion group that is a new home so that I can celebrate my fiftieth anniversary as a Legionnaire in a year and a half.

The one constant in my life has been a series of new beginnings.

I left for the Navy as a young man for a new beginning. There have been a series of do-overs since then. This will probably be the last big one.  The parts of my life seem to be coming back full circle and being closer to the ocean will be an added benefit. I’m sitting in a hotel room right now overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and listening to the waves crashing on the shore. I will miss some parts of Pittsburgh, but I will not miss others. Like the waves crashing into the shore, I am reminded that no wave is exactly like the last one. Each has a unique new flavor, and each is a reminder that like life, there is always something new mixed with a sense of the familiar.

We visited Patriot’s Point yesterday and felt right at home. Walking around the aircraft carrier, I smelled the old familiar smells of a navy ship and saw so many things that brought me back to the time when I was a young sailor over a half century ago. I really felt like I was home once again.

I am going to be very busy for the next month closing one house and opening another. After that, I’ll get back into telling the stories about subs and other historical events.

In the meantime, there are a lot of stories on the blog from the past fourteen years that you may have missed. I hope you take the time to explore.

Mister Mac