Here I am last year outside Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park where they displayed my book, Neighborhood Watch.
Thirty-seven years young. When I was born in 1986, the Montreal Expos had a baseball team, Bill Cosby was considered a family man, and gambling was only legal in two states. Thirty-seven may seem young to some and old to others, but I have seen some significant changes in those nearly forty years of my lifetime.
Prices
In 1986, the cost of gasoline was .86 cents a gallon. I waited to fill up in Will County yesterday just so I could save money and pay $4.11 for gas! Isn't that crazy?
In 1986, the average price of a new car was $9,255. Compare that to today's eye-popping $48.008, and it's a wonder that anyone can even afford a new car anymore.
In 1986, the average price of a home was $121,200. Today, it's $416,100. I still don't know how people live in some parts of the country where the average house cost is twice that...
If you're looking at inflationtool.com, $100 in 1986 is now worth $279.45. Inflation has skyrocketed 179.45%!
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Anyway, this isn't a statistical history lesson. You can look the facts and figures up for yourself. I remember going through high school, and no one had a single phone out. I didn't get a social media page until my junior or senior year, and it was Myspace. My first car, the Saturn SC1, had a tape deck, and my first tape? Pearl Jam's Yield album.
Yes, I've seen a lot of changes in my life. I still remember pay phones and Caller ID, and one of my first toys was a Teddy Ruxpin. I remember when people would pick up a newspaper and read. I remember when kids would play outside, and Nintendo and Sega battled it out in the video game wars.
Yet despite all the changes in the years, I still love every birthday. I may reminisce, but my present and future is pretty great. I have two wonderful boys, a beautiful wife, and a terrific family. I have friends who I am more than grateful for, the best co-workers, and a school that I'm proud to say that I'm going to start my ninth year teaching.
Despite my history of epilepsy, I accomplished a lot, and I am grateful for that. God wants me in this world for a reason, and I try to live my best life for Him.
So, even though the world is changing, sometimes it is for the better. We need to look around and be grateful for what we do have because unless we have a Delorean, we're not going back in time.
Today, I'm grateful for the chance to start another year, and I am excited to see what lies ahead. I hope to finish my sequel to Neighborhood Watch soon and continue to be my best self. Thank you to all those who take the time to read these posts. I hope you get something out of it!
To search for Kevin Patrick Kenealy's latest thriller, peruse either Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park, Barbara's Bookstore in Orland Square Mall, Anderson's Bookshop in Downers Grove, or The Book Dragon in Stockton-on-Tees, England. You can also buy directly from my website here: https://www.kevinpatrickkenealy.com/author