Now, this is "Change" that you can actually see with your own eyes. The two photos were taken the same day, January 19, 2011. That date should be familiar to you as it was the day that President Hu made his visit to the residence of President Obama. In the morning, a light graying of the hair. Later in the day when photographed with President Hu, he had washed that gray right out of his hair.

As with all of our Presidents, the daily stress of this office has a tendency to age them rapidly. This process goes with the job. However, hiding the signs of this stress does not really eliminate the factors of the stress. President Clinton discovered that smoking a good cigar would reduce his stress level.

The President is forty nine years of age, typically this is the point in a man's life that you can expect some changes. There are those that describe this process as a mid life crisis for men. First sign of this process is the desire to become healthier. The purchase of a "juicer" and making up all kinds of concoctions of a variety of fruit and vegetables is a sure sign that a man is looking for the fountain of youth. Then come the motorcycles, vintage cars, new clothes, new hair style, and yes, coloring of the hair in order to return to the age of their youth.

I am just a few years older than the President. Although, I have not had the stressful life of the President, I too am showing a little gray around the temples. Several years ago, I went to a costume party. For this particular party, you had to come dressed as you would in your younger years. I donned my "old" Navy uniform that I was issued when I joined the Navy thirty years earlier. Looking at myself in the mirror, the gray that was showing did not go well with the uniform. I got myself some of that instant youth looking goop and washed it through my hair. Drying it and combing it as it was in the 1960's, I was amazed that my hair looked worse than before I tried to restore my youth. You can hide the color of hair, but those little wrinkles in your face will not disappear.

The "graying process" has never bothered me, I consider it the "learned look" as well as being distinguished. The thing you must keep in mind is that you may wash the gray out of your hair, but at the same time, you also have to color your beard, mustache, arms, legs, chest, and any other area that hair happens to grow. The best thing to do is let it go and consider yourself lucky that you have achieved that position in your life.

Recently, while having morning coffee at the Anchor River Inn, one of the regulars at the coffee clutch produced a email from a lady that lived in Anchor Point. Although, I knew of her, I had never overly indulged myself in conversation with her due to her radical political philosophy. She was a self proclaimed Democrat, very liberal in her beliefs pertaining to saving the environment, global warming, and destruction of our planet. She placed the majority of the blame on the timber industry and large oil companies.

Her email went on to explain her life after leaving Anchor Point. She moved to Sappho, Washington, a small community on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula. She purchased a small home and several acres in Sappho which is situated on the border of the Olympic National Forest. On the highest point of her property there was a very large tree. Wanting a better view of the "natural environment" of her land she decided to climb the tree.
As she neared the top of the tree, she encountered a Spotted Owl that attacked her because she got to close to the owl's nest. In her haste to escape the owl, she slid down the tree to the ground. Having her legs wrapped around the tree, she acquired a number of large splinters in the area of her crotch.

In considerable pain, she hurried to the medical clinic in Forks, Washington, about ten miles in distance. Arriving at the medical clinic, she demanded to see the Doctor on duty immediately. During his examination, she explained as to how she acquired the splinters. She went on to expound on her political beliefs as to her position on the environment, anti-hunting, and how much she admired President Obama.

The doctor listened to her with great patience and then told her to to wait in the operating room and he would see if he could help her and remove the splinters. The nurse assisted her in positioning herself on the table and placing her feet in the stirrups in anticipation of the removal process. After waiting for two hours, the Doctor reappeared in the operating room. The angry lady demanded "What took you so long, I am in great pain and very uncomfortable!"

A sly smile escaped the lips of the Doctor and then he went on to explain to her, "Well, I had to get permits from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Forestry, the Division of State Parks, and the Bureau of Land Management. She demanded why he had to do all of that simply to remove the splinters from her crotch! The Doctor again smiling to himself, replied, "Well, before I could remove any old-growth timber, which is the nesting area of "Spotted Owl" from a recreational area, I needed the required permits. I'm sorry, but due to the permitting process, Obama Care turned me down." The nurse will assist in helping you get dressed, have a good day. As the operating door closed behind him, she could hear him laughing and repeating, "How Do You Like The Change Now"