Just a little more than usual
The only one coming to mind is when I paid for a guy’s lunch at Louis Armstrong Airport. There was some misunderstanding about payment method, or something, and he didn’t have enough to cover the meal. I might have been played, but it felt like a random act of kindness.
Though I’m sure there were others– asking for my wife’s hand in marriage among them– the one that emerges was the decision to go to seminary, which was a learning experience on various levels. It opened my eyes to the vicissitudes of human existence, it expanded my knowledge of Scripture, deepened my appreciation for the Lutheran tradition but also tempered any bias I might have from being what many might consider indoctrinated.
This decision led me and my family away from Massachusetts, where I had spent the first 37 years of my life. In terms of roots, our children may consider themselves Pennsylvanians, though two of them have long since moved away and have established lives in other states.
I guess the other decision that has affected me personally is reading Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari, which has cast deepening doubt on my faith, such as it has always been, and pretty much everything I learned about the Bible, along with leading to a falling away from the church.
A pretty dramatic shift, though I don’t blame Mr. Harari. It’s just something that can happen when one dares read a dissenting opinion and is skeptically-inclined to begin with.
Haven’t thought much about places I’d never want to visit, but I’ve never had a real hankering to see North Korea, or Somalia, or maybe Sudan.
Most of the time when we eat supper, we sit at the kitchen table and tune in PBS Newshour or watch videos until that comes on. This past Sunday, I was watching the final round of The Masters golf tournament and was pleasantly surprised to be handed a plate of food by my wife, as I sat in the den and watched the last few holes of Rory McIlroy’s victory. It was unexpected, but much appreciated.
Locally, it’s a place that’s been in business for about seven years now– decent pub food, good beer. They have a pork chop entree that’s quite delicious. We often stop at a Chipotle for lunch when we’re out and about. And sometimes we’re close enough to East Earl, PA to rationalize a stop at Shady Maple Smorgasbord.
Fancy restaurants are usually off the table, but on recent visits to our daughter and son-in-law outside of Denver, I was treated to a wonderful meal at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and a Japanese sushi establishment that’s out of this world. These were a whole other level of dining.
Best case scenario- still in our house, still able to function and get around and live independently, still able to take walks with my wife and watch the grandchildren grow up. It’s a sobering question, at this point.
Interpreting “everyday things” as inanimate… a laptop computer, a Daily writing prompt to chew on, cold brew coffee, a diamond art project to work on, and a lawn to mow.
The first thing to come to mind was Paul Simon’s Kodachrome, but I can’t really say that I learned a lot of crap in high school. I learned some Spanish, I learned how to use a Bunsen burner and make esters in Chemistry class, I dissected a frog and learned a bit about anatomy in Biology class. I read To Kill a Mockingbird and A Separate Peace for the first time in high school.
I tried to learn something more than basic arithmetic in Algebra and Trigonometry classes, though that didn’t take very well. I learned that trying out for the high school baseball team was a lot different than trying out for Little League. I learned that the baseball coach–who was also one of my history teachers– actually played minor league ball for the St. Louis Cardinals.
I learned about the value of reading the editorial page of the newspaper in high school, took Driver Ed. and got my license with Mr. Ford, and even started talking to girls, which was a big thing for wallflower me.
There’s lots of movement with the grandkids. They keep us hopping. Bike riding is enjoyable, as is a walk around the neighborhood. Golf is still a decent walk, even when using a cart, and I’ve been using the stationary bike at home quite a bit lately. It’s a mindless way to exercise, but I’ve noticed improvement in leg strength and duration of rides.
It hasn’t changed since last year– To Kill a Mockingbird, maybe A Separate Peace.
I hear Project Hail Mary is pretty good, though I doubt I’d read it more than once.
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