Dear Sir:

Readers may remember a song entitled "A Few of My Favourite Things", from the Broadway musical, "The Sound of Music." This song has been recorded in over 100 different versions, and it has inspired me to write about a number of things in my own experience which make my life meaningful and uplifting, including the following:
To wake up in the morning with a feeling of undeniable vigour and drive, even at my age of 72; to know that these assurances will be with me at almost every moment of the day, generating optimism and equanimity in all my activities; and the awareness that, now that I am retired, I can structure and utilize all my hours according to my own wishes.
To take an inspiriting stroll in the sunlight while I feel the gentle touch of a summer day; to meet under these circumstances friends with whom the benign weather makes our conversations particularly gleeful and uninhibited; and to amble on home again with the buoyant, light-hearted feeling that hostile weather is probably still months away.
To awaken on opening day of the major league baseball season to the sensations of refreshment and reorientation that come only with the start of a renewed chapter in one's annual routines; to turn on my television set and gaze at a delectable array of 10-15 games that are to be shown on the MLB Extra Innings package on this special day; and to revel in the knowledge that all 162 regular season games of my beloved and vitally important Toronto Blue Jays are also to be telecast, representing a little bit of heaven for me.
To turn on a CD by my favourite rock group, Johnny and the Hurricanes, and to relish their wildly effusive energy and exuberance; to take particular delight in the inimitable vibrancy of "Red River Rock" and "Crossfire"; and to realize how the classically surging sounds of this band bring back fond memories of my youthful social adventures and enjoyments.
To recall my impressions of an outstandingly and charmingly statuesque brunette whom I met at a university dance in St. John's in 1965; to remember how we swayed in fervent unison to the unrestrained rhythms of "What'd I Say", by the Ducats, the most renowned Newfoundland band at that time; and to contemplate how this girl could have meant precious joy and fulfillment for the rest of my life if I had had the good sense to follow up on our initial encounter.
To set down my thoughts on paper with wide imagination and concerted creativeness; to propel my mind to the point where my writing is palpably and profoundly absorbing (at least to me); and to know that my literary endeavours also bring pleasure and elevation to readers who care sincerely about me and my work.
To proceed methodically and gratifyingly through a typically cerebral novel by John Updike; to appreciate his distinctively advanced and imperious prose; and to observe with admiration how he masterfully develops and delineates the various characters and events of his books.
To realistically expect that after even 20 more years have passed, I will be able to follow in my father's footsteps and still be generally healthy and active; that I will feel capable of maintaining significant support and stimulation from a large circle of friends and acquaintances into my 70s and 80s; and that, like numerous aged baseball fans today, I know I will be able to continue to find deep delight and enthrallment in the greatest, the most intriguing, and the most exciting game in the world.
I hope that readers can identify with most of these thoughts and expressions, and that we all will live to experience qualities resembling the essence of my highest enjoyments and gladness.
Yours sincerely,
Lloyd Bonnell
Corner Brook, NL