Love, Lovers, and Life

Love, Lovers, and Life

Bill Denham

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Bill Denham

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter One - Just a Boy

Chapter Two - Jana's Dream World

Chapter Three - Passion Continues

Chapter Four - A Dreadful Moment Surfaced

Chapter Five - When Life Improves, Military Duty Blossoms

Chapter Six - Tidings of Good Fortune

Chapter Seven - Golf on the Shores of Panama Bay

Chapter Eight - A Special Dinner Date

Chapter Nine - A European Adventure

Chapter Ten - A Late-Night Tour of London

Chapter Eleven - A Partial Exploration of European Continent

PROLOGUE

A WRITER

A new day is born . . . a writer sits at his desk . . . contemplating new

thoughts . . . imagination demands action . . . words begin to appear . . .

soon a phrase is reached . . . then a sentence . . . a full paragraph . . .

and after days and weeks, his heart and soul complete a book.

Applying pen to paper will light more fires than matches ever will.

How vain and hypocritical it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.

I always believe it is best to leave our creative energies uninhibited. It's a supportive reason for this book. The first book represents a three-part novel of a Trilogy that includes drama, romance, and a fitting destiny for two young lovers, plus a rarity for military duty overseas in time of war with me a non-com officer and her a young ensign, and also travel and love adventures after war while studying for a master's degree in London and Europe.

Most events in my young life were not planned, other than those to advance my career. All were real-life happenings were presented in a fashion that could be accepted or rejected. I accepted the majority of them as natural decisions we normally make to comply with life's logical demands. After over 80 years of enjoying many facets of an exciting and interesting life, three important factors are the reason: God, my parents, and my good Denham genes. Unless an individual possesses the same surname or one pronounced identically, they can't make the same honest statement. Everything learned in life can be summed up in three words: It goes on. And every life has at least one story to tell. What's unique about mine? I have several exciting ones to tell. Some were more exciting than others. Each one involved dynamic intellectual individuals who accepted being engaged in life-enhancing activities. All aspects of this Trilogy can be classified as a true partnership adventure. I have fond memories and no regrets. It's been said that we should follow our dreams. I did that. This premise is an acceptable and understood phenomenon about life when it is meant to be enjoyed, but we must remember not to oversleep.

The military was not one of my priorities at this time. But when such duty became the only option for me to reconcile with, there was only one thing to do—make the best of it. I opted to enlist in the U.S. Navy for four years. It was a good decision. I became a serious-minded individual in my endeavor to serve my country in time of war. After boot camp and upon finishing 5th in a class of 60 in radio school, the Navy awarded the top ten of our graduating class choice duty assignments overseas due to our achievements. I was sent to a Harbor Defense Unit in Balboa, Canal Zone. At that point all facets of my military life began to fit like a new glove. One special young lady, an officer, gets all of the credit.

Setting goals, preparation, and working hard were essential foundations in my life. Once reaching manhood, lady luck presented numerous activities in my life that put everything into a valid perspective. By concentrating on life with faith as my guide, it created friends and relationships that developed into meaningful life pursuits. Only love has the power to unite.

Got to understand the lad –

He’s not eager to be bad;

If the right he always knew,

He would be as old as you,

Were he now exceedingly wise,

He’d be just about your size;

When he does things to annoy,

Don’t forget – he’s just a boy.

Could he know and understand,

He would need no guiding hand;

But he’s young and hasn’t learned,

How his corners must be turned.

Doesn’t know from day to day,

There is more to life than play.

More to face than selfish joy,

Don’t forget, he’s just a boy.

ONE

FUN WITHOUT FUNDS

JUST A YOUNG BOY . . . IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION

You could say creative visualization was an applicable term when speaking of the youth of Sandford, IN, in the 1930s and 1940s. Our thoughts, ideas, imaginations, dreams, fantasies, and illusions always reigned supreme when it came to doing things or occupying our time wholesomely. We were the ruling lords of our universe and the magicians of our lives. Being happy was fun.

There was one paramount reason why we had to organize, to create, and to implement simple and inexpensive things to do. We had no money to do otherwise. Everything we did was indicative of the conditions in which we lived. It applied to 99.9% of us throughout the country. We knew nothing differently so complaining was unthinkable, and it wouldn't have been justified anyway. The depression rendered us a one-class status—poverty ridden. But we still weren't so poor that we couldn't laugh and have fun.

DISCOVERING A NEW WORLD

During my childhood at the time of the Great Depression and later as a realist, I could not be sure of my destination in life but I was building a good foundation upon which to build a future, should there be one. I realized that knowledge, goals, and a strong work ethic would never go amiss. If possible, it was crucial that I alleviate the debilitating effect of the Great Depression—a reminder often shared by friends. By the time I reached adulthood, I felt positive about most aspects of life. It was deemed necessary to establish a temporary, unconstrained life style to overcome the negative effects imposed on the masses by the remnants of this dastardly deed. No such economic apparition had ever been experienced before or since. Everyone had to pursue a meaningful tone in everyday living to survive. It took years to reach a complete success, but perseverance paid off in the end. Several more months and years of serious persevering are in our future again. History does repeat itself. And it is not far from happening again. Get ready!

A partial life's story such as this is easy to understand by any individual who believes life is meant to be lived. Believing that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. In the end, it may repeat an experience, a challenge, or an adventure of a life you have lived. No harm can come from sharing mutual respect, trust, kindness, and peaceful coexistence with your fellow man, or a true love. There is nothing constant but change. Without change there would be no growth, no understanding, no relating, and no surprises. Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past are certain to miss the present and future where all change that's significant will occur. It is not intelligent to live a life in denial.

Though this timeframe covers an earlier period, I see no valid difference reflected in the description of events then, than those of a similar nature today. And looking back several years, I still believe an unusual occurrence that happened to me at a much younger age instilled certain natural tendencies later in life. That's life, is it not? I see a supremely legitimate connection between small bits of selfish behavior then and some that happened later.

THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON

This particular episode happened frequently. Could it be construed as a natural instinct or a type of behavior commensurate with my birth sign (Scorpio)? Others may contend that it was the result of an unusually high sensitivity of my olfactory nerves that was to blame. I really don't know the reason for its occurrence, but the incident happened regularly and without warning on most occasions. When a mood (emotion) moves you, move with it, has always been my philosophy. The nature