My Perfect Day
Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I am a very simple man. I hear folks talk about snorkel dives in Aruba, Vegas slot machines, or fancy cars, and I have to admit I’m too busy at home to take all that in.
I read one time that Arnold Palmer had a golf game with a guest at his home club in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It was a one of those early fall days- crisp sweater weather but not too cold. Arnold turned to the fellow and said, (paraphrased) “You know, I’ve been all around the world, but I’m just as happy to be here at Latrobe as anywhere. This is a perfect day for golf.” One thing about Arnie- he was world class, but didn’t get above his raising and forget his roots. I admire that.
I’ll never amount to what Arnie did, but I can identify with his sentiment. My perfect day would be to see my favorite patients till lunch, play golf in the afternoon with Jacob and the choose-up boys, then eat supper with my family. I’d say grace and be thankful for the good fortune that my people live in peace the way we do. Then I’d check in with my blog pals and write a few words about my day. After that, I’d get together with Darrell and Summer, Moose and Warbler and all the gang and pick bluegrass music till two o’clock in the morning. The next day I’d get up and do the same thing again. I guess I am boring, but that is what I’d do if had to walk the green mile tomorrow.
What would y’all do on your perfect day? Write and let me know.
Dr. B
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Dr. Tom Bibey: Stories of the Bluegrass Music Road 
October 29, 2008 at 8:07 am
Dr. B, you got me to thinking. (and that is a hard thing to do!) I don’t really know if I can describe a single perfect day. They are perfect at the time but then another one comes along that seems perfect too. I would propose that we have lots of perfect days and keep them in a memory book in our heads and hearts that we pull out and look at often. Those are the memories that bring smiles to our faces and tears some times to our eyes.
Glad you had the chance to experience another one for the memory books.
October 29, 2008 at 8:29 am
Ms. Cindy,
Oh, I ain’t had the perfect day yet either, although many have been close to it. But a man has to have his dreams, so I keep at it. Tomorrow might be the day!
Dr. B
October 29, 2008 at 9:24 am
“Walk the green mile”…what an interesting phrase, and one that’s new to me. It’s another one of the ways we talk about dying, I suppose, but it must have a colorful (pun intended) history. I personally like to think of it as “rounding third and headed for home”!
As for perfect days, hard to say. But it would include waking up on the other side of the bed from Ann, sawing on the fiddle for a while, reading a book by the fireplace on a cool day like today, having supper at our favorite meat & three, making darn sure I’d voted (if it’s before 11/4), then watching the Braves win the World Series in four. Be just about right.
October 29, 2008 at 9:40 am
Parson Bob,
Good to hear from you friend.
The term came from a Tom Hanks movie about being on death row. It became a family saying.
A good book, the fiddle, and the Braves in four- I might have to add those to my dream list too- very good.
Dr. B
October 29, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Hmm
Perfect day… Would be waking to the sunrise in the arms of the man that I love. Driving around with the top down on my car with the music playing great songs..Taking a walk around a beautiful place, stopping to have lunch. Maybe browse some shops for silly stuff. Take a beautiful bath together, have a fantastic dinner with a fine vintage. And make love by the fireplace before falling asleep in his arms.
October 30, 2008 at 5:24 am
Ms. Amber,
Ms. Marfar is always a part of my perfect day, too. I guess twenty four hours ain’t enough, huh? I always said I lived eight days a week, and I wish my days were thirty six hours.
Dr. B
October 31, 2008 at 5:44 am
Darn you! Thinking about my perfect day leaves me confused. I’m really not sure what perfect would be for me, and I’m certain it changes every day. I suspect that looking forward to perfect, creating an image, and then living it out would create a less than perfect experience, never capable of living up to the image. It’s sort of like (maybe not sort of or like at all, but IS) an application of the Heisenberg Principle, an idea from physics, which essentially says that examining a phenomenon changes the nature of the thing observed. I guess my perspective is to look back on the day just past and say something like, “That was a pretty good day, wasn’t it?” Small things turn out to turn many days into good ones – a hearty laugh, a little more exercise than usual, a brief moment together with loved ones, a fleeting taste of something that vanishes before it’s more than just perceived. These are the things that lead toward the never achieved perfection. Wow and Aha moments seem to me to be few and far between. Moments of peace and serenity seem to take center stage. – Ted
October 31, 2008 at 6:41 am
Dr. B, I know my perfect day would revolve around my beautiful husband and three gorgeous boys, with a dash of writing and/or song writing thrown in. (All of our boys are miracle babies – we had to go through IVF and many years of infertility before we became parents.) I would also love to spend the day with our extended family who all live interstate or overseas. I think we’d have a picnic in the park and watch all the kids rumble with their uncles and aunts and cousins, play games and laugh. We’d play a family game of cricket (it’s an Aussie thing – my American husband still doesn’t understand!!) and have a BBQ lunch. There would be a piano, and hopefully someone who can play better than me, and we could stand around and sing some beautiful songs; gospel, country – take your pick! During the day I’d get an hour or so to sit somewhere quiet and create. I’d also get a phone call from a publisher accepting one of my manuscripts. Then in the evening, I’d get to hold one or more of my precious babies as they drifted off to sleep and feel their heavy head resting on my shoulder and their breathing become slow and deep. My husband and I would put the kids to bed, then have a cozy evening talking, laughing and reminiscing about how blessed we are and what a journey we’ve been on. We’d go to sleep wrapped up in each others arms, with our hearts overflowing with gratitude and love.
But to be honest, I actually think I am living my perfect day every morning when I pick up my baby twins, who are smiling and gurgling at me, and when my 3-year-old gives me a good morning hug, and when I catch my husband telling our sons what a beautiful Mummy they have and how lucky they are. I get to be a full time stay-at-home Mum which is such a privilege. I get to see three little boys on their journey to becoming who they are. I get to partner my sensitive, kind-hearted and loving husband as we parent. And I get to tuck my boys into bed at night, and thank God for them. I also pray that they will become the men that He wants them to be. I’d say that’s perfect enough for me…
October 31, 2008 at 7:54 am
Ted,
I guess the perfect day is a work in progress, huh?
Dr. B
October 31, 2008 at 7:56 am
Ms. Karen,
I always like it when a perfect day has to do with family.
Somehow on my perfect day I’d like to include a trip to Australia. 24 hours isn’t gonna get it, huh?
Dr. B
October 31, 2008 at 1:27 pm
This would be my perfect world:
Live in San Francisco, no more than ten blocks from Ocean Beach. Wake up each morning at 6 a.m. Take the dog for an hour and a half walk on the beach. Come home, make coffee and start writing.
Of course, there would be kids and grandkids in there, too. 🙂
October 31, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Pande,
I think you guys dug San Francisco. Any time it involves family it is good for me too.
I also write my best at dawn, and when I’ve had my coffee.
Dr. B
October 31, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Pandemonic – I live near SF – in a community on the water there… its great.
October 31, 2008 at 8:25 pm
The blog world was is all connected, huh?
Dr. B
November 2, 2008 at 11:26 am
Dr. B — I discovered “walking in beauty” in the late Tony Hillerman’s novels about the People and other Southwest Native American tribes. I have no primary references on the Navajo, but I am a spiritual dabbler who finds solace in syntheses…. Ciao, No-blog-yet-Gregg
November 2, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Gregg,
Cool. Thanks for your visit.
In my research for my novel, I have studied the Navajo and the Choctaw. I think we should have paid heed to the Indian ways. Much about this sentiment is expressed in my story.
Dr. B
November 7, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Doc, the perfect day for me consist of eating breakfast with Mom and Dad. I only want that thick slab bacon and she makes home made biscuits, yep in a black skillet. I grew up on the next item, we call it coco, sugar, water,boil it down, add coco, makes a syrup. I am a professional butterer of biscuits, so I lather em’ up pretty good. I do not have to eat lunch, play a round of golf with Conway and the preacher. Then it is on to the couch for that wonderful afternoon nap. I am a practicing 6 or 7 day horizontalist. Now it is time to spend time with the wife doing whatever she want, play some bluegrass or just take it easy but I must say she is slowly getting into this Methodist strings group. Another alternative is as the sun sets, fire up the grill have the family over for steaks marinated in Dale’s sauce, eat outside and make a big fire in the outdoor fireplace. Finally study the sunday school lesson a little and sleep all night. So in a nutshell my perfect day is faith, family and fun. Take care, got a fine present the other day from the Bibey family, hope Marfar is doing good.
November 7, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Smitty,
Folks, y’all can take it from Dr. Bibey. Smitty and that Mississippi crowd know how to have a perfect day. I know ’cause I went down there and visited. It was everything it was cracked up to be and more.
Tell mama to keep the skillet good and greasy. One day I’ll be back.
All is well here- will tell Ms. Marfar you checked in.
Dr. B