Hello and welcome to my little corner of the internet, Shade Tree Musings. My name is Jerry Pritchett, and I am delighted to have you here. This website is a collection of my thoughts, experiences, and stories gathered over seventy-five years of a life filled with insatiable curiosity about the world around us.

When the developer I hired to give my website a facial asked me to write a 500-word autobiography for an “about me” page, I said, “You must be kidding. I am 76 years old, and you want my life story cut down to a few words.” Of course, I knew what he wanted; he was asking for a self-promoting narrative to make the readers think I qualified to entertain or educate them, or perhaps, to cause the reader to think, “This guy is so interesting I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.” In this paragraph of less than 120 words, I have already written a few clues “about me” if you read between the lines. Knowing about me is best done within the pages of this blog. So, to satisfy the 500-word requirement, I will tell you a tale.

Shortly after World War II ended, men and women who had been in the military overseas came home after years apart. We had achieved a victory, and spirits ran high. Consequently, men and women became very friendly with one another, so much so that many babies resulted from the closeness of these friendships.

It just so happened that I was prepared at the baby factory for travel to a predetermined womb of a woman who had developed said friendship with a wealthy man named Rockefeller.

Unfortunately, for many babies, the massive amount of wombs to be filled and the shortage of storks to carry them caused a lot of mishaps. For you, the young people referred to as Gen this or that, people born at this time are called “Baby Boomers.”

In my case, I became a part of the statistic of those who ended up in the wrong womb of the wrong woman. The baby factory I was being sent from was on the west coast, and the mother-to-be was on the east coast. I am deliberately being vague as to the specific location of either. One to protect the mother’s privacy and the other because baby factories are kept top secret for obvious reasons.

I already mentioned a shortage of storks available to carry out these missions. Consequently, retired storks were drafted back into service to handle the business of on-time deliveries. After all, these women expected a baby or two to arrive in a timely manner. The baby factory’s reputation was at stake; never in history had delivery been completely missed. Yes, a few late deliveries, now and again, but never a complete miss-delivery.

This was the first red flag on my journey to my prospective life of wealth, leisure, and fame. I had been assigned an elderly stork with a bad arthritis case. Each baby was placed in a large cloth diaper, and the stork grabbed the four corners with his feet and flew off to the destination, keeping a tight grip on the diaper.

As you probably already guessed, I only made it to Western Oklahoma. On August 22, 1947, at 6:40 PM, when the stork lost his grip. I was unceremoniously dropped into the womb of a nineteen-year-old farmer’s wife in Dr. Stough’s office above the First National Bank of Geary, Oklahoma. To this day, I feel sorry for the stork, who must have been upset at his failure to accomplish his mission. In my case, I am so grateful I was dropped into that womb. I have had a rich life beyond any that material wealth could have provided. As you read my articles and stories within this website, you will understand the extent of my gratitude for the life I have lived.

I don’t have any formal certifications or degrees to persuade readers to think I am an authority on any subject. My life’s constant curiosity about everything— under the sun, moon, and stars— drives me. I’ve lived among different cultures, devoured tens of thousands of books, and grown over the years; whether wiser or not, I leave up to you.

The blog content comprises articles, stories, and points of view from my life journey. My challenge for you is to consider the ideas I present, compare them with your views, and draw a conclusion. You may find that your opinion is reaffirmed, or your ideas may expand; you may even adopt a different perspective altogether. As we journey through life, remaining open to observation and learning enriches our journey for ourselves and others.

Below are the categories of subjects I have for you to browse. I sincerely hope you get as much enjoyment out of reading my words as I have had in writing them. At the end of each post is a place for replies; I do answer promptly.

Praised as favorite among readers, let “Sunset Journey” take you into an imaginative world which
speaks to the heart of us all.