This is a book that began as a journal. In writing down feelings of approaching fifty, a recurring theme was noticed. This theme was a longing for the things of yesterday, for simpler times, for safer times and for caring times. In writing about the games, toys, comfort foods, experiences with holidays and relationships, I noticed that clear analogies with life's experiences were found in each.

For example, a favorite childhood past time was jacks. It was a simple game with a ball and a set of ten jacks. The jacks would be spread out on a surface and the ball would be thrown in the air. The object was to pick up a predetermined number of jacks before the ball came down. I noticed something when I thought about this game. This was life. Throughout my fifty years, had I not played jacks? I raised three children, worked full time, went to night school , was married and managed a home. These were all jacks and the ball was constantly in the air.

After all, Jacks is a game of timing. You have to catch the ball and pick up the jacks at the same time. Life is a game of timing. Drop the ball and miss the jacks and there could be trouble. This same theme runs throughout the book. Games, stories, toys, foods and their parallel to life's experiences. Also in the book are provocative questions so that each reader can examine themselves in light of a topic or an experience. The end result is more self awareness and an appreciation of life's experiences, good or bad and the impact of each one on our lives. The reader should end with a question and answer: What will I do with the second half of the Century of my life? The answer should be Anything I want.