Note: I read all comments and respond to most. --- New posts every 10 to 15 days...except when life decides to get in my way by dropping a log into my pond.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

I'll Be Back...

...time sensitive issues in life have crowded my path for writing, but...
I WILL be back :~)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Age is a Funny Thing

Courtesy "Psychology Today"
Today, it seems, I haven't much to say about life. I've pretty much come to accept its ebbs and flows, its peaks and valleys, and...well, not so much its plateaus. But overall, it is what it is.

The earlier version of myself would never have agreed. I was constantly off on some new adventure, taking on some new challenge, and learning some new element of life. Ohhh...and could I be profound! Metaphoric essays erupted from my inner core, and poetry just oozed out of my pores!

Today appears to be a time, not so much of opinion, but of story-telling. As I came of the age I am now, I was rather convinced I would end up this elderly wise sage. Perhaps some of my more long-time friends may still see me that way. Did I know that all those adventures would lead to telling stories? I think not.

Ever see the 2003 movie Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney and Billy Crudup? The following excerpt is taken from Yahoo-Movies:
As an eight-year old confined to bed because of a preternatural growing spurt, Edward Bloom occupies himself by reading the entire World Book Encyclopedia. He is taken in particular with an article about goldfish, in which he learns that "if goldfish are kept in a small bowl, they will remain small. With more space, the fish can double, triple or quadruple its size." Ten years later, after becoming one of the most popular young men in Ashton, Alabama, he realizes that--like the goldfish--in order for him to grow he must leave home and explore the world.
And thus, an improbable and mythic journey begins. Many years and countless adventures later, Bloom is well known as a teller of tall tales about his colorful life as a less than ordinary young man, when his wanderlust took him around the world and back again. When Edward becomes ill,...Will [his disbelieving son] embarks on his own personal journey trying to separate the myth from the reality of his father's life and come to terms with the man's giant feats and great failings.
My own father was much like Edward Bloom in the "tales about his colorful life" department -- at least in the way it affected me. I'm not so sure I was ever able to sort it all out like Will did in the movie, but at an early age I decided that my colorful stories of life would simply need to be true. I honestly believe that is why I chose to be a writer of nonfiction.

Growing up in the midst of so many tall tales, the quest for truth filled the deep crevices of my heart and soul. In my early years I immersed myself in the Bible -- a book that Roman Catholics of that time weren't supposed to read without direction. HA!

Then, as a teen I searched the works of Kant, Camus, Tiehard de Chardin, Jung and even Kahlil Gibran. Many philosophies and religions later, I returned to the Bible as my final word on what is true...finally having been taught how to understand it. (And, for those who hold that Carpe Diem doesn't possibly fit with the Bible, it does -- perfectly.)

When I first sat down to write today, I thought that a head full of opinions may be a thing of youth - a trait that perhaps dissipates with age, because aging teaches us that everyone always has an opinion about something. 

And, I had the thought that the story-telling was an outgrowth of having lived many wildly colorful years. These thoughts may all harbor some truth, but I think my premise is false.

I believe my concepts about "being full of opinions" and "being full of story-telling" have nothing really to do with age. In fact, that is where my premise is in error.

Age is a funny thing. People vary far more than from Black to White, and a few shades in between -- far more than any rainbow. I believe that people are, refreshingly, as unique and varied as God. And yet, to consider that the foolishness of God still lies far above the greatest wisdom of all mankind combined -- oh my! So much for opinion.

It is not the chronological age of an individual that determines these tendencies. Rather, it is how one ages, how one assimilates the adventure of living life, that would have the greatest influence on what exudes from that life -- no matter the actual years lived.

Opinionator? Stories? Sage? Ah yes! Age is a funny thing.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

What's Next?

So now that I've completed the April 2011 A to Z Blogging Challenge, what's next?

My plate is very full, having pushed aside many things, while endeavoring to produce a noteworthy post nearly every day. Now I will need to peel back the layers to uncover each neglected task and aggressively take them on -- one by one -- hopefully emptying that plate.

It is spring, and our yard has been crying out for attention like a mournful puppy. We've raked and mowed, overseeded and watered, but now it's the weeding and planting (ever wonder what happened to all those bulbs??!)...plus a little bit of pruning. Then there's all the fall debris that still needs to go to yard-recycling.

Our closets, the basement and the garage are all bursting with things for Goodwill, the Veterans, and a possible garage sale. But before any of those tedious projects can begin, there is the simple matter of catching up on my dishes, laundry and other basics in life to clear the clutter. Sound familiar?

And, I have yet to mention any time for reading, bike riding, amigurumi, journal writing, artwork, letters, ukulele, hiking, indoor gardening and piano. At times I wonder how others stay on top of all their interests. I truly need to lock myself down to more of a schedule, just to stay ahead of any possible regrets in the years ahead. Especially since I'll be turning the big 6-0 this summer.

We have a tremendous plan for our 25th (Silver) Anniversary, less than a month away. June 1st is the actual day, but on the eve we will have our favorite chef come into our home to prepare us a fantastic dinner with wine by candlelight. Plus, our live-in mothers will both be out of town that entire week, so we'll be free to make a few day-trips without any other responsibilities (except Ginger, our Cocker Spaniel). What a delightful time this will be for just the two of us!

Guess that about wraps it up for now on What's Next?
-- without pond-ering too deeply, that is :~)