Thoughts and Ruts

I’ve been somewhat torn today as I sit down to make yet another entry in the blog. This afternoon is very unsettled weather-wise, and I could write about that. I saw a hen wild turkey out back just standing there in the rain…I could write about that. We had a great church service today, spending much of the time talking about serving others and meeting the needs of the community. We have an outreach of food and clothing that we call Simple House. I could write about that.
Our Bible class today was talking about discouragement and how we can combat that in our lives…a sorely needed lesson…I could write about that. I watched the tail end of a PBS program on religion and ethics where they told of a Catholic priest who made it his mission to bring out into the public arena a little-known facet of the holocaust of the Jews in WWII. I could write about that. We’re having our small group over to our place this evening…I could write about that.
However, an oft repeated line seems to pop out in my mind today. Many people have said “I have more years behind me than I have in front of me.” I too am in that boat (unless I live to be 120, which is rather unlikely). I was thinking today about my life as it has been and is, wondering if it has turned out at all like I thought it might many years ago.
Actually, I don’t know whether or not it has turned out the way I planned. I don’t really remember doing a lot of planning in the past. I don’t think I ever got a job with the idea that this would be the job I would retire from at age 66. I don’t think I ever moved into a home with the idea that this would be the place where I would retire. The only long term planning I think I ever did was to say that the woman I married would be my partner for the rest of my days (or her days).
Everything else has been, I think, a step in the adventure of life and a realization that nothing is ever permanent or unchanging. Much as I would like to have continued to hold some job or live in a certain house for the remainder of my days, I think I knew that it probably wasn’t going to happen that way and that I was to be ready for whatever came our way.
Even post-retirement isn’t all that permanent. Things change and life changes. We become more feeble and frail. Friends die. Children and grandchildren grow up. People move. The world changes. Nothing is static.
Although Archie Bunker’s statement that he “like(s) change better when everything stays the same,” is one that we all look upon with some fondness, we also know that it just isn’t that way. Even if we don’t embrace change, we’d do better to at least flow with change and understand that it is part of this existence. Much as we like our ruts, we can’t stay in them forever.
And that’s probably a good thing. (By the way, this is blog #500).