Well, my friends, I have now written three books for you to read, the first two were written some time ago, the last was put together in the last couple of months. The problem I have, is I do like to write, I tend to spend most of my time putting words onto paper, or in this case onto a screen.
For those of you who have read the books, I want you to understand, I lived in Malta for two years plus some, and when I joined the Royal Navy, in the 60s and went back to the Island with my ships, it was like coming home again, however in all that time, I saw things that did upset me, involving the church, so in all my books I have done my best to show my disapproval of what one religious group can do to a whole people, don't get me wrong, the Roman Catholic church has the right to push its ideas onto the general public, as do the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Scientologists, but not to the extent that it causes hardship and distress. and as I said in my last book, Jesus was a Jew, not a Roman Catholic.
I would also add to this comment, I for my sins was a Jehovah's witness for a few years, but as with all religion I started to question those ideas and beliefs and found them to be quite disturbing, so for the rest of my life, I have been looking at all aspects of what I see as the church of God, and I must admit I am not very happy with what I have found out. My wife Maureen is not like me, she feels that God and Jesus is a stupid story made up by some guy trying to scare the living daylights out of the rest of us, and I as her husband accept her ideas, but like I say, had Adam been a switched on kiddy, when Eve tried to make him eat that flippin' apple, he should have put her over his knee and given her a six of the best, had he done so, we today would be living in a world garden of Eden. But we all know, the Old Testament had to start somewhere, so it had to start with Adam and Eve, but we also know, that the Old Testament was the history of the Jewish nation, it's the new Testament that most people have problems with. I do believe Jesus walked on this earth, and where he is not spoken of in the bible, he was out doing his own thing, as for his death, that is another thing I cannot figure out, I don't believe he did die on the cross, but that is another story.
What I would like to understand though, is why only four gospels, and why did the Church of Rome make all the rules about what we can and cannot believe, who gave them this so called power over mankind. Every man and woman in this world has a brain, they have a mind that can figure out what they want to believe in, and if some man wants to flog his back with a whip to get rid of his so called sins, then let him, and if someone is just happy to say sorry God, please forgive me, then that is just as good in my book. I am not a churchman, yes I tend to go at Christmas, but then I like to sing the carols, I also go to the remembrance service, because I feel it is my duty to attend, as an ex serviceman and having been on a warship where we lost a man in a sort of war situation, I want and need to remember that situation. Even though I was only 17 at the time, and I am now 76, That day is still embedded in my mind as if it was yesterday, at the time, I was on the bridge of my ship as bridge messenger, and when Able Seaman Southerland was shot, I was told to fire the B.R.E.N. gun mounted on the side of the bridge, but I was all fingers and thumbs and could not load the gun, it was only the fact that my old sea dad Harry Harrison walked on the bridge and took over, that the job was done, however, it was too late for Southerland, he was dying of a stomach wound, but I still feel to this day, had I had the right training on this particular weapon, I may not have been able to save my shipmate, but I could have killed the man that had shot him.
As I have already said, I have been married to Maureen for coming up for 31 years, and we have been together for 34 years in March, and I must admit, it's been a good marriage, mainly because from the very first day we met, we did nothing but talk to each other, not only about what we had been through in the past, but what we expected of a partner, we never even kissed for a month, and even the first kiss was something silly, we had gone to a party and I had danced with Maureen all evening apart when we sat in a very large armchair to have something to eat, I was sat in the armchair and Maureen was sat on the arm of the chair he arm around my neck. At midnight the guy I had bought with me to the party said he had to get back home, he had work in the morning, so I came off the dance area of this very large lounge and said goodnight to Maureen, as I went to get my coat, she sat down on a sort of blanket box by the lounge door, I looked back at her, and as my friend walked through the front door, I walked back to Maureen and kissed her, but not on the mouth, on her forehead. It was a couple of weeks later when she invited me back to her flat that we had our first real kiss, and don't forget, I was 45 at this time, but it was worth the wait. Maureen and I didn't sleep together until the May, again we had been to a party, but this time, I took Maureen with me in the car, we never left the party until well after midnight, and once back in her flat she asked me to stay the night, I agreed to sleep on the sofa, but Maureen said that her bed was big enough for the two of us to sleep in, I told her that I fancied her rotton and if I slept with her, I would be wanting to make love to her, well we did make love, and to be honest it was pitiful, I was like a teenager way out of his depth, I had not made love to a woman in years, so it was a case of trying to bring back all the skills I had forgotten, but asMaureen said, practice makes perfect, we made love in the morning before going to work, and it was fantastic, the night before I had used protection, but in the morning I didn't and it worked a treat, Maureen and I fitted like a three pin plug into its socket. And whenever we made love, it was the same, as our love grew, I told Maureen that if she was to fall pregnant, I would stick by her. We had now moved in together, I was paying half of all the bills and life was very good, we were like a married couple and I was getting all the benefits of what a married couple would get, so was Maureen, plus like she said. " You sleep with me and keep me warm, and I like that, and if you do try and slide that thing into me, I won't stop you".
Life was very good for the pair of us, we had money coming in every week, there was no talk of marriage, the only thing Maureen said was. "Do the dirty on me, and you're out the door, no second chances, I ve been down that road before, never again". But like I said. "I am a one woman man, you treat me right, and I will always be here". And to be truthful that is how it's been for almost 34 years, we love each other, we are a married couple but we are partners and most of all friends, we can tell each other anything, be it good or bad, the big thing is, if its bad, we travel the road together, we help each other over the pitfalls and always get to the end if it is good things, then it's the same. only this time we skip and jump along the road and even sing, and again we get to the end, but in every case, we do it together. Maureen has never had to throw me out, and I have never given her cause too. She always said> "This body is yours, and when you want, or need to use it, then please go ahead, I will not stop you". I on the other hand have always done the right thing and asked to make love to my wife, and when we do make love, it is with gentleness and passion.
Today, we are both in our mid 70s, and making love is I am afraid a thing of the past, however, there are times when I think I have the urge, and we give it a try, but we both end up laughing and giggling like idiots. more tomorrow.
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