Dale Says

For more than 20 years I’ve been writing summaries of what’s going on in my life and in the world around me on my birthday. Here’s an excerpt from 1994 …

April 24, 1994

On my birthday I’m 43 years old.

During the past year my sense of invincibility has declined a little as a result of my arthritic knee. Up to now, I have been able to do whatever I wanted, and I was able to heal any physical problem that cropped up. Now, I’ve been told this ailment won’t go away and can’t be fixed, so I have to learn to adjust and live with it. I don’t mind the pain as much as I hate the fact that it is slowing me down.

On a more positive note, being married continues to get better each year. Patty is a great companion, and she adds so much to my life.

My family is well (four married, one grandchild) and family is becoming more important every year. We started a yearly reunion a few years back and I really look forward to them. Patty’s family is well and very busy! I’m crazy about her mother, as she’s a very kind and loving person, and I feel fortunate to have a chance to know her and spend time with her.

In the news, the U.S. economy is finally starting to look better. The Federal Reserve just raised short term interest rates to try to slow it down. California is dragging a bit, as the downsizing of the U.S. military hit California really hard.

The hot domestic topics are crime and health care. Violent crime is the number one concern throughout the U.S. and most politicians are jumping on the “tough on crime” bandwagon. Longer jail terms, life sentences (“three strikes and you’re out”), and the death penalty are much discussed subjects. Mr. and Mrs. Clinton have proposed a health care program that has bogged down in Congress. If passed, it would guarantee health care to all U.S. residents. Employers would pick up most of the tab, with consumers and the federal government paying the rest.

The Clintons are spending most of their time defending their past financial dealings. It’s ironic that the one that is the most scrutinized (Whitewater) is one in which they lost money.

South Africa is scheduled next week to hold its first ever completely free election. Everyone will get to vote, even the blacks, and it offers a hope that the widespread killing that has gone on there for too long might stop.

Russia’s economy is bad and getting worse. North Korea is developing nuclear bomb capabilities. And Japan’s economy is in a deep recession and the prime minister just resigned following a scandal.

In technology, everyone is talking about the Information Superhighway. It seems to be a communications network for purchasing, news, and finding services.

The Winter Olympics were successfully held last winter in Lillihamer, Norway. The U.S. has a few new heros following the Olympics including Nancy Kerrigan, Dan Jantzen, Bonnie Blair, and Peekaboo Street. We also have a new villian, Tonya Harding. She and her ex-husband conspired to whack Nancy Kerrigan in the knee, so Nancy couldn’t compete with Tonya in the Olympic tryouts. It was an ugly affair that left a bad aftertaste throughout the Olympics.

Richard Nixon died yesterday. He was 81 and all I could feel for him was sadness. He represented some really ugly human characteristics, but I can’t seem to work up anger at someone who tried so hard to get something that will never be given to him — he wanted to be good.

Schindler’s List was the best movie of last year. Tom Hanks did a serious movie about AIDS (Philadelphia) and won the best actor for it. Holly Hunter did likewise for The Piano.