As I begin to put on paper these newest thoughts from ‘Grumpy Gramps’ I wonder how many of those whom may be reading it have already looked ahead just to answer the question in their head, ‘What is LB to MA talking about?’.  Are you wondering if it means maybe a trip from Long Beach to Massachusetts, nope, it has nothing to do with a road trip as you would imagine a road trip.

But yes, LB to MA does refer to a road trip of sorts – a road trip that we call life, as the LB to MA refers to ‘Looking Back to Move Ahead’!!  And this will be a concept which I may and will refer to when sharing thoughts about several subjects of life itself.

Many do this without realizing it, many do it and damage their future, while many will do it and build for a better future.

The concept of ‘Looking Back to Move Ahead’ refers to taking an overview of places, people and things that have gone in your life in the past and using them to prepare and build a path to the future.

I for one knew of the concept, but never took it real serious until about five years ago when I realized something very important – when it comes to a health issue, looking back for lessons learned is very important to being able to move ahead without making the wrong steps again and working more on the positive steps instead.

Five years and a couple of weeks ago, I suffered a major change in my life when I took gander at the door of the life beyond for a few minutes when I literally died in one of the emergency rooms of our local hospital from a massive heart attack.  Obviously, I was brought back to the reality of life and thanks to some handiwork from medical professionals I get to keep rolling forward.

But it made me realize that ‘Looking Back to Move Ahead’ is a very important concept for those who have health issues or even more important, may live in a family with health issues.  Many times, health issues seem to be hereditary and those are the ones we all need to embrace and prepare for.

So, when you go to the doctor and get that sheet that may ask for your and your family’s health history, be up front and honest about all it may entail when you fill it out for it may just save your life someday.

When it comes to health, looking back to move ahead is important because for instance if you continue to have problems with sinus or lung congestion issues, odds may be good that you can pinpoint the reason for the issue by looking back and finding the when, where, why and what may be causing the issue.  It could be found you are allergic to something at a place you go to often, or to something you do often like play in a place with mold or lots of irritants in the air.  Having issues with your lungs and sinuses could also be just a simple thing like doing a better job at either stopping or avoiding being around smoking.

I for one, not only had a major heart attack which damaged a part of my ticker for life, but I also was presented with a diagnosis of late stage three COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) – a disease which I most likely brought on myself by several poor choices along my path of life to that point.

I had severe asthma as a kid, something which I could treat but most likely would never get over.  What did I do with a lung problem already imbedded within me – I spent several years in a fiberglass insulation plant, and then worked several years inhaling all the fumes involved with the food service industry from fryer and grill smoke to the wonderful vapors involved with cleaning them.

If I had spent more time evaluating the looking behind of my health, I would probably have taken several different paths to moving ahead and hopefully not be in the spot I am in now.  Not only were my own health involved, but I realize now that with two parents, at least one uncle and a grandfather having lung and heart issues I should have paid closer attention to taking care of my own before I reached the point of hinder for my future roads ahead.

It doesn’t come with just health issues where ‘looking behind to move ahead’ is important, the same concept can be used to evaluate other issues like taking care of your finances, taking care of any possible addictions, taking care of the people around you and taking care of the world around you – all conceptual issues which ‘Grumpy Gramps’ most likely will dip into at later dates.

There we have it, another yapping by ‘Grumpy Gramps’.  If you want more from ‘Grumpy Gramps’ then check out the Facebook page of CrossDove Writer.

Until next time – prayers, blessing and happy thoughts – ‘Grumpy Gramps’.

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