Today I realized I had become an old man. It wasn’t so much my age, although realizing my birthday was fast approaching had forced me to admit more years had passed than were to come. Suddenly becoming an old man wasn’t just a bad attitude, although my attitude had suddenly taken a turn towards melancholy and nostalgia that was a bit unhealthy.
Author: Jon
Aspiring Writer and Blogger. Former Banker, Teacher, Headmaster and Pastor.
Struggling With Hope
Some of my best days are days in which I struggle. Sometimes the struggle is physical, sometimes spiritual, but always the struggle screws with my understanding of myself and others.
Any World I’m Welcome To
I realize that my friends who are sticklers for proper grammar will look askance at the title of this new post. The title is part of a lyric from a song written by Steely Dan. The whole line is, “any world I’m welcome to is better than the one I come from.” Still grammatically unsatisfactory to some of my friends. Alas, I know I am in the wrong, but I can’t help myself. Grammar is not, however, the point of this post.
At That Age
“You can’t out run a bear. Better to play dead and take your chances the bear will lose interest in you.” That’s what the Park Ranger said to me and my two friends just before we started our climb up the mountain and into the trees in front of us.
The Hole in My Backyard
I am digging a hole in my backyard. I have been working on that hole for some time now. It’s turned out to be a bigger job than I had expected. But I persevere and persist. This project seems to have a life of its own.
Constancy of Purpose
The secret of success is constancy of purpose. (Benjamin Disraeli)
What will tomorrow bring? What are your dreams and your plans for tomorrow morning? As in the photo above, there may be several routes to the summit. Without constancy of purpose, you are not likely to reach that summit. Without constancy of purpose you may stop just short of your goal – a false summit.
Time’s Up
“The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is: a miracle and unrepeatable.” Storm Jameson 1891-1986
I am certain I have wasted far too much time in my life. The older I get, the more I wish I had made better decisions concerning what I did with the time I had in front of me. Waking up each morning should have been a call to action rather than a reluctant shrug of the shoulders, a yawn and then breakfast. Continue reading “Time’s Up”
I Want the Truth
“In quarreling, the truth is always lost.” (Publilius Syrus, first century, B.C.)
Civil discourse and illuminating debate are an endangered species. We have become victims of 30 second sound bytes and pre-scripted revelations masquerading as fact. We are no longer offered factual reporting, allowing us to form our own conclusions. In the name of political correctness, we are force – fed opinions and agendas to which we are encouraged to choose sides. Agreed upon standards have been obliterated and replaced by anarchy in words, thoughts, and deeds that reign untouched by a sense of the greater good.
Why I Trust In Hope
“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are. (Marcus Aurelius)
In the past, I have had no success in conquering the first rule of Aurelius. Therefore, I have not been able to proceed to the second rule. When in the past, due to an unsettled spirit, a metaphorical/existential fork in the road has appeared before me, my spirit has imploded. This is no way to live. Too many forks in the road, too many decisions to be made to have a troubled spirit. That’s why I decided to seek out the spirit and confront it head on. And as a result of this quest, I have found my trust in hope.
What Was Her Hope
“A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.” (sometimes attributed to Sir Izaak Walton)
I have enjoyed practicing the art of fly-fishing ever since a friend of mine coaxed me to buy my first rod and reel when I was a senior in college. Without false drama, I can state fly-fishing helped me cope with the ebb and flow of experiences that have, so far, made up my life. How about you? What has comforted you and helped you cope with your own ebb and flow of experiences?