In My Lifetime…

Snapshots of the past 40 years since June 4, 1969
by Kenny Burchard

Today is my last day as a 39-year-old. I thought I’d do a little reflecting on the world, life, and the state of things as I turn the corner.

Here are some of the major events that have taken place in my lifetime. (enjoy 1998 especially).

1969 – Just six weeks after I was born, a man landed on the moon for the first time in Human History. I remained in a foster home with the name “Brian Galicki” for the first 8 months of my life.

1970 – The Beatles disbanded as a Rock Group. I was adopted at the age of 8 months old by Elden and Romey Burchard who changed my name from “Brian” to “Kenneth Paul Burchard.” We lived in Los Angeles.

1971 – Karaoke (and the machine that makes it happen) was invented by a Japanese guy. My parents moved us to Denver, Colorado.

1972 –The world of video games was launched with “PONG” – and terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

1973 –The World Trade Center was dedicated in New York City, burglars broke in the Democrat Party HQ at Watergate, and the TV show “The Six Million Dollar Man” was launched.

1974 – Ali and Foreman fought it out in the jungle, India went Nuclear, and Nixon resigned as President of the United States (Gerald Ford took his place)… I was 5 years old.

1975 – Altair introduced the first PC. Microsoft was launched. Altair???? MICROSOFT!!!

1976 –The United States turned 200 years old, and APPLE COMPUTERS was launched.

1977 –Star Wars hit the big screen (we stood in line for hours), Elvis died (my mom cried!!!), Jimmy Carter was elected to the U.S. Presidency, and Apple introduced the Apple II personal computer.

1978 –The first test-tube baby was born in the U.K., the Space Invaders video game was invented, and Jim Jones made his followers “drink the cool-aid” in Guyana, and my parents packed us up and moved us from Denver to Salt Lake City.

1979– Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq, SONY launched the “Walkman,” “Garfield” comic strip was launched, and Ayatola Khomeini returned to power in Iran. – I was 10 years old.

1980 –John Lennon was assassinated, CNN was launched, and Mt. St. Helens BLEW!

1981 –Reagan became president, Iran promptly released our hostages (uhem), AIDS came on the scene, Reagan survived an assassination attempt, as did Pope John Paul, II. IBM finally introduced a PC, and Charles married Diana (busy year!!!).

1982 –The first artificial heart transplant is conducted, John Hinkley got off (for trying to kill Pres. Reagan) by reason of “insanity,” and the French finally put a guy in space.

1983 –Sally Ride (first woman in space)… became, uh, the first woman in Space, and the first Cell Phone network was launched in Chicago.

1984 –Apple introduced the Macintosh computer, Miami Vice airs as a TV show, Vanessa Williams resigns as Miss America (first ever to resign) because nude photos of her are published in Penthouse, and I entered Cyprus High School in Magna, Utah as a sophomore. I was 15 years old.

1985 –Coke tries “new Coke” – fails, then goes back to “Old Coke” after three months, Nintendo launches the Nintendo home video game system, Mikail Gorbachev becomes the Soviet Leader, the first Block Buster video store is opened in Dallas, TX, and Ronald Reagan is sworn in to his 2nd term as the U.S. President.

1986 –I watched the space shuttle “Challenger” explode on national TV while in my first-period sociology class. My teacher, Mr. Larsen, sat silently in tears and shock. Oprah Winfrey launched her TVshow. I became a Christian in August.

1987 –I graduated from High School, joined the U.S. Navy (boot camp in San Diego), flew on my first-ever airplane (to boot camp), and the Stock Market crashed (one thing has nothing to do with another here).

1988 –George H. W. Bush won the presidential election against Michael Dukakis. I received orders to the Naval Hospital, Lemoore California where I worked for 2 years as a corpsman and EMT, Rush Limbaugh launched his nationally syndicated radio show, and I became a Sho-Dan (first-degree black belt) in Sho-Ryn-Ryu Karate.

1989 –The Berlin wall fell. Thank you, Ronald Reagan! I was 20 years old.

1990 –Iraq invaded Kuwait, Desert Storm is launched, Margaret Thatcher resigned, Mandella was released from prison, Milli Vanilli has their grammy taken away (lip-sync’ers), and I am promoted to HM3/E-4, and promptly received orders to report to the Camp Foster Marine base clinic on Okinawa, Japan where I was stationed for 3 years.

1991 –I met MaryJo Davis at a Christmas party at the YWAM base on Okinawa.

1992 –Bill Clinton became President and tons of people began leaving the military. The L.A. riots erupt because of the Rodney King beatings and police acquittals, Mike Tyson got convicted of Rape, and I married MaryJo Davis on Dec. 12 at the Camp Foster Chapel on Okinawa.

1993 -The U.S. government launched a siege on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX. I left the Navy with my new wife, and we moved to New Mexico.

1994 –I met my birth parents, Joseph Buccheri and Jeanette Galicki. South Africa held multi-racial elections and Mandella won. At the end of the year, MaryJo and I moved back to Salt Lake City, Utah. I was 25 years old.

1995 –I became the assistant pastor at Metro Fellowship A.G. in Salt Lake City. We bought our first house. O.J. Simpson was acquitted. The Oklahoma bombings happened.

1996 –Charles and Diana divorced. The Hoover Institution says “Global warming will help us.” Bob Dole is nominated as the “R” candidate – and lost.

1997 –Clinton inaugurated / 2nd term. O.J. – GUILTY in civil court, Mother Theresa died, Princess Diana died, and my wife and I moved from Salt Lake City to Hanford, CA. She took a job as a 3rd/4th grade teacher, and I became an associate pastor at Koinonia Christian Fellowship.

1998 –The Monica Lewinsky scandal breaks, the Unibomber pleads “guilty”, Hillary breaks the news about a… um, uh – “Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy,” Bio-Geneticist Scientists take a sample of my DNA and create “VIAGRA,” helping men all over the world, – GOOGLE launches, the iMac launches, and Windows 98 launches.

1999 –Bill Clinton was acquitted in his impeachment trial. I was 30 years old.

2000 –Oh No! It’s Y2K aaaaaaggggghhhh… nothing… Court confirms vote… “Bush is President.” (oh, and lots of guys get rich writing books and holding seminars about how to survive the terror, confusion, and absolute mayhem that will be caused by Y2K) yawn.

2001 –The Xbox and the GameCube are released, Windows XP is released, Terrorists hijack planes and destroy the World Trade Center and part of the U.S. Pentagon. The Patriot Act becomes law, and on Sept. 29, 2001 “The Oasis Church” holds its first worship service at Monroe Elementary School in Hanford, CA.

2002 –Prez. Bush chokes on a pretzel and faints. Congress passes the “Iraq War Resolution,” The Dept. of Homeland Security is created in the U.S. Jo and I celebrate our ten-year wedding anniversary (and go on a Cruise), The Oasis Church celebrates its “ONE YEAR” anniversary service as a Church, and becomes affiliated with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

2003 –Space shuttle Columbia is destroyed on re-entry, Michael Jackson is arrested for child molestation, the U.S. and several other nations invade Iraq, and the U.S. captures former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein.

2004 –Bush defeats Kerry, Martha Stewart goes to jail, Afghanistan holds its first democratic elections, MaryJo and I apply for an international adoption approval to Ukraine, and are approved, and I drink a Coke in Jack Hayford’s backyard while thinking, “Hey, I’m drinking a Coke in Jack Hayford’s back yard.” I was 35 years old.

2005 –We travel to Ukraine to adopt our first/only child, Victor from a Ukrainian orphanage. Hurricaine Katrina devastates the U.S. gulf coast, Pope John Paul II dies, and our son has two major surgeries on his mouth and face… and some in our church wondered aloud, “What strange, unreasonable, and inexplicable circumstances could make Kenny and MaryJo seem less available to us these days….????”

2006 –I enroll in college at Fresno Pacific University… for FREE! Victor gets a new mouth and nose, Saddam gets the death sentence, Al Gore prophesies that humanity has 10 years left to save the planet from scorching (3 down, 7 to go), Global Warming becomes the official state religion in the United States, and The Oasis Church celebrates its five-year-anniversary in Hanford, California. I have a second Coke in Jack Hayford’s back yard, and again, I think to myself, “Hey, I’m drinking a Coke in Jack Hayford’sback yard again.”

2007 –We celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, Victor turns 5, Nancy Pelosi becomes first female Speaker of the House, I attend my 20-Year High School Reunion in Salt Lake City, Utah, I have a third Coke Jack Hayford’s back yard… (with the same thoughts as the first two times).

2008 –The price of a gallon of gas goes up to about $4, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin becomes the first woman to be nominated to be V.P. by the Republican Party, the U.S. Elects Barack Obama – the first half-white/half-African President in U.S. History, U.S. stock markets plunge, people lose their homes due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and the world falls into an economic recession, I receive my international ministerial credential from the Foursquare Church, I graduate from Fresno Pacific University with a B.A. in Organizational Leadership, and Kenny and MaryJo have a Coke and a bottled water (respectively) in Jack Hayford’s back yard (Kenny verbalizing to MaryJo what were only previously thoughts the first three times).

2009 –Barack Obama is sworn in, MaryJo finishes her Masters Degree, Victor finishes Kindergarten, Victor goes to Disney land for the first time on his 7th Birthday, and then we go again 4 weeks later. SWINE FLU… AGGGHHHHHH! I turn 40 years old.

There may have been morethings that happened, but those were some highlights.

Enjoying life…

Kenny