Facing the Facts

OK, I have been thinking about it and I have to finally admit that if I could live anywhere in the world, it would not be my beloved Texas. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live in Darwin, Australia. I have traveled to many places and have lived in several countries, but Australia, and Darwin in particular, is the place I would like to "live happily ever after." BUT that's not going to happen. A couple of years ago, I skidded over the line in the sand where we could get Australian citizenship. We're too old, and because Australia has socialized medicine, we are not welcomed to join the ranks of the old people who will need medical care more often than average. Oh, well, we can still visit and that will have to be enough.

Heaven will be a wonderful place. There won't be any need for borders, or socialized medicine, or any medicine at all, for that matter because we won't get old and sick. Having said that, I admit that I still have trouble imagining a place more wonderful that the Northern Territory of Australia. The bluest skies the most beautiful palm trees, the high adventure of living on the edge of the Outback. Where we lived, we were an hour from the Outback to the south and about an hour from the sea on the north. The lightening storms were breathtaking and the rainy season was awesome. We went swimming almost every day in an olympic sized pool a couple of miles from our house. Some folks are dumb enough to swim at the beach. Sharks and salt-water crocs are one of the awesome critters living there, and our team opted for the pool. We did however, go to the beach every weekend because they set up a wonderful market out there on the sand and you could grab some food and sit and watch the sunset. Incredible sunsets. I like Melbourne, and Sydney and "Brizzie," but there is simply just no place like Darwin. Living there was a gift. God gives really good gifts.