REALLY LIVIN’

October 01, 2026

by Rusty W. Mitchum

Can you believe how fast this year has gone by so far? Man, the older I get, the faster they go. I can remember when I was a kid, a year lasted….well, a year. Now, they go by in just a few months. Of course, it’s all relative. When you’re, let's say, 10 years old, a year is a 10th of your life. But when you’re 60, heck, it’s one 60th. No wonder it goes by so fast.

They say it’s not how long you live, but how well you live. Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve lived rather well. No, I’m not rich, and I don’t expect to be. Livin’ well has nothin’ to do with money. I’m talkin’ about real things. Here’s a few of the things I think real livin’s all about.

Chocolate pie. Yep, livin’ is about chocolate pie. Man, if I knew when I was gonna cash in my chips, the last thing I’d want to taste is chocolate pie.

Little kids. There is nothin’ in the world as great as little kids. I can watch them for hours. Janet gets on to me every once in a while, for starin’, tellin’ me that somebody’s gonna think I’m a nut or something. It’s a shame there are people out there that would hurt a little kid.

Puppy dogs. If there’s anybody out there that can tell me that they don’t like holdin’ a little bitty puppy dog, and lettin’ them lick their face, and smellin’ that puppy breath, then you don’t belong on this earth.

Kitty cats. Now, I’m not talkin’ about grown cats, although I like them too; I’m talkin’ about kittens. There’s nothin’ that is as much fun as playin’ with a little biddy kitty cat.

Chocolate pie. Oh yeah, I’ve already mentioned that, didn’t I?

BB guns. I know there some of you out there that don’t believe in guns, but I hate to tell you, they are real. I can remember back when I was a kid, sleepin’ with my BB gun. I’ll bet a psychiatrist would have a field day with that one.

Fried chicken. Have you noticed I have a thing about food? I think fried chicken is the perfect food, especially the legs.

Firecrackers. I know they’re dangerous. Heck, what isn’t?

Box turtles. If you’ve never had a box turtle for a pet, then find one. No, you can’t buy one. That’s sacrilegious.

Toad frogs. See Box Turtles.

White-faced bumble bees. They don’t sting, and you can put them on a string, and let them walk all over you.

Peanuts and Coke. You pour salted peanuts in a bottle of Coke, and drink it. Be careful not to bust your teeth on the bottle tryin’ to get that last peanut out of the bottle.

Watchin’ clouds. You lie down in the grass and look up at the clouds. Watch out for fire ants.

Fishin’ with a pole, a cork, and a worm. Who cares if the fish ain’t bitin’?

Fried bacon. Need I say more?

Cowboy boots. There’s nothin’ like a good pair of broken-in cowboy boots.

High-topped tennis shoes. God Bless Chuck Taylor.

Sticker burrs. If you’ve never been in a sticker burr fight, then you haven’t lived.

Dirt clod fights. See Sticker Burrs.

Climbin’ trees. More than half of my kid life was up in trees.

Grape vines. If I wasn’t swingin’ on ‘em, I was smokin’ ‘em.

Swimmin’ holes. If you’ve never swam in a genuine swimmin’ hole, then you’ve had a sheltered life. Also, a pitiful one.

First kisses. Heck, if I could bottle that, I’d be rich.

Oil-topped roads. Seein’ who can stand barefooted longest on an oil-topped road in hundred-degree heat, will separate the men from the boys. Also, your flesh from your bones.

April Fool’s Day. In my family, it’s a national holiday.

The last day of school. Teachers and students alike can relate to this one.

The first day of school. You get to make a fool out of yourself in front of the girls all over again.

Friends. None of it’s worth it without these.

Now, I could go on some more, and maybe one of these days I will, but you get the gist. I would like to add one more thing though. That is sharin’ these things with someone you love is the best thing of all.