The Ben in Me.

Allow me to begin this posting by telling you those attributes of Ben that I do NOT have. I do not, at least, as yet, have the overwhelming desire to take kite, loop it through with key, and wade out into the midst of a raging lightning storm. This may, of course, be because electricity has ALREADY been discovered. Although, had Ben not performed this daring-do many, MANY years ago, I'm not sure I'd be, at this stage of my life, willing to be the first to place myself in the path of becoming a human crispy critter.

I have no desire to wallow in the depths of printer's ink to create my own newspaper or my own almanack. Imagine the brain power needed to predict all those important weather trends for the upcoming year? Considering how difficult our current meteorologists have it predicting what Mother Nature has in store for us a week from now, DESPITE having such awesome technological tools as Doppler Radar, I doubt my meager musings would be accurate enough to qualify me for authoring an almanac.

My lungs have too many floaty things within them and a cough that is violent enough to break ribs, so creating and then participating in Fire Fighting is something I do NOT aspire to emulate. (Ben WAS a well-rounded kinda Father-of-the-Nation...wasn't he?)

I ADORE that he created the first Library. As an avid reader on a limited income, being able to access the Library and borrow books for FREE is just AMAZING! (Only knowing that when I pass on I will have access to the Public Library of Heaven, is more exciting to me.)

I have not found myself channeling Ben's delectation's where his libido is concerned. I am perfectly content with my less than stellar private world. It would be far too EXHAUSTING to try to emulate Ben's sex life.

BUT I find myself happily falling in line with his OTHER private activity. I remember when I first read about his AIR-BATHS, I was amused and just a little bit scandalized. Why, I found myself wondering, would a man as intelligent as Ben strip off his civilized attire, open a window, in the DEAD-OF-WINTER and sit there exposing himself to frigidity?!!!!

I now KNOW why! As I have aged, my body's thermostat has gone totally wacky. While the rest of the world shivers beneath the biting chill of a North Wind, I find delicious relief. While others hover beside their radiators, fireplaces, or space heaters, I throw open my windows and sigh in ecstasy.

So now that I have crossed the half-century mark, I FULLY understand why Ben Franklin delighted in the icy tendrils of Winter's breath.

THANK YOU MOST HEARTILY, BEN FRANKLIN. Your genius continues on!