4- ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO MOUTH THE WORDS OF PROFESSIONAL SPEECH WRITERS BUT I SIMPLY WAS NO GOOD AT IT. I HAD TO WRITE MY OWN AND WRITING ONE'S OWN IS HARD WORK, AND THIS BRINGS ME AT LONG LAST TO MY POINT. I GAVE 56 SPEECHES AND NEVER WAS ABLE TO GIVE THE SAME ONE TWICE. THIS WAS POOR PRODUCTIVITY INDEED. SO IT CONTINUED DURING A CAREER THAT IN THE ENSUING 22 YEARS FOUND ME A FREQUENT PERFORMER AT VARIOUS PODIUMS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND EVEN ABROAD. CLIMBING THE HILL YOU RECOGNIZE THAT IT INVOLVES EXTRA WORK. WHEN YOU ARE OVER THE HILL, YOU EXPECT THE BURDEN TO BE LESS. I AM SOON TO BE 65 AND HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD RETIRE-MENT. UNLIKE SOME I ANTICIPATE THE PROSPECT WITH CONSIDERABLE ENTHUSIASM. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD A REWARDING AND SATISFYING CAREER. I RELISH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT TIME PRESSURES EARLIER DENIED ME AND I DO NOT FEEL MOVED BY THE MOUNTAINS LEFT UNCLIMBED, THE BURNING MESSAGES YET UNDELIVERED, OR