Lots of things, I suppose. I could be less cynical, more adventurous, less fearful of failure, more observant, a better listener, more frugal, more interested. Somehow, more fun to be around.
Yikes.
Tag: dailyprompt
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The very first thing that came to mind was “Wake up and smell the coffee!” Bold, black lettering on a white background, no adornment. For some, it might serve as a reminder to head to the nearest Starbucks or Dunkin’ or some other favorite coffee stop. For others, it might be received as a conversation starter, a prompt all its own. Or maybe derisively sneered at in puzzlement.
If it was mine to use on a regular basis– and it was one of those digital models– I’d have to line up a daily bit of insight. If it was a more traditional board where someone had to climb up and “change the wallpaper,” it might be a weekly offering of some nugget of wisdom, maybe a short joke or something open-ended that would keep folks watching for a follow-up.
If it was mine to use only once, that would demand more thought. A freeway billboard is likely to be seen by thousands of people on a daily basis, if it’s located in the right spot. So, whatever went up would have to be concise, readable without being a distraction, and thought-provoking. Maybe a picture, no words. A picture of a flower growing in the middle of a paved road. I’ve always liked that image, for some reason.
Maybe something like, “If you find something beautiful in someone, tell them.” Or “Opinions don’t define your reality.” Or how about one from Albert Einstein: “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
The Fleeting Yet Consequential Present
Daily writing prompt
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
Hard to quantify, but maybe it’s still somewhere in the vicinity of 50-50. I spend a fair amount of time fixated on climate ills, the seeming intractability and ineptitude of certain leaders of government, and what this all means for our future.
But I can also pivot and take a trip down memory lane anytime I look at our digital picture frame or talk with my brothers in our weekly Zoom session, and pretty much anytime I decide to listen to music. My preferences are for artists from the late 60s through the mid- to late 70s, though I might have a few favorites from somewhere in the 80s.
It has been something like a switch being flipped since I hit the 70 mark. I’ve been doing more evaluating, more soul searching and assessing. More reminiscing, more coming to terms with the fact that there’s much less of life in front of me than behind, anymore.
Yet somewhere in the midst of all this, I try to navigate the present, which is where I’d prefer to focus my energy, but which isn’t always easy. This is where a certain sense of urgency resides, though– in the here and now.
Attitude Transplant
Honestly, a couple of million dollars. That would ease certain burdens and take a few chronic worries off the table.
Taking a step back from that pipedream, I’d have to say the gift of a new mindset. I don’t particularly like the one I currently have, and wish someone could give me a few tools to help me process my cynical and often dour outlook on the state of the world. I don’t compartmentalize very well, can’t understand how people even do that.
So… resilience, creativity, serenity, maybe a more robust sense of humor.
Higher Ed.
Gustavus Adolphus College, in St. Peter, MN, and The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, in Gettysburg, PA.
Recreation
Anytime the grandkids are around is playtime. They might all latch on to the same activity, or we can be going in multiple directions.
Other than that, the only thing I can think of is what has become an annual trip to the upper midwest, to spend a week with my brothers golfing and fishing. That’s playtime to me.
Well, that and yardwork, though yardwork may be its own category– not quite play, not quite work.
Stepping Out
Being hopeful. I’ve been accused of being a glass-half-empty guy. In my defense, the only way I might avoid the cynicism and skepticism is by living in a cave the rest of my days. It’s difficult to check the newsfeeds and not be at least a little worried about our future as a species. And closer in, as a USA.
Keeping busy. While I don’t put a lot of stock in resolutions and “having a plan,” whatever that might mean, I do see the wisdom in finding ways to be useful and occasionally productive.
Being present for others, one in particular. Since retirement, and before, my tendency has been to be immersed in my own issues and challenges and perceptions. Despite what I said a couple days ago about the grandkids being the relationship I value the highest, it is and always has been my marriage and the state it is in that most influences the way I feel about things and the person I bring to the table.
Being less risk-averse. It won’t ever be anything outlandish, and I’ve played my whole life pretty close to the vest and conservatively. At this point in the proceedings, that probably won’t change much. But maybe there’s still time to let the freak flag fly, on occasion.
Doesn’t Take Much
Turning 70. I know it’s just a number, but this one has my attention, for some reason.
Besides that, there are any number of triggers– certain songs and Christmas carols, the smell of wood smoke in winter, the smell of a humidity-laden breeze out of the south, the smell of certain foods cooking, pictures on the digital frame or an old photo album I get distracted by when I’m cleaning out a box in the basement; most any conversation with a college friend.
Then there’s the concoction of smells of civilization– a mix of fried food, cigar and cigarette smoke, exhaust from a vehicle without a catalytic converter.
These things, and just about any Zoom call, lately, with my brothers. There’s a lot of reminiscing going on, at times.
Sustenance
Another prompt that’s given me pause. I’d say the relationship with my wife, on occasion; the relationship with our children, my siblings– especially my brothers, and now the one with our grandchildren.
I think it’s the one with the grandchildren that stands out, currently. The reasoning is partly selfish. I want them to have good memories of me, so I’m one who tries not to talk down to them, who gets on the floor and plays with the toy trucks and gives them horsey rides and runs around outside and in general acts like someone not my age. They bring out the kid in me, and that role feels quite natural. I’m both exhausted and exhilarated by their energy levels, taken with their authenticity, moved by how much of life they’re seeing and dealing with for the first time. And as much as I don’t look forward, sometimes, to keeping up with them and looking after them, I walk away from most encounters feeling like it has been time well spent, like I really couldn’t be anywhere else.
I have few non-family relationships I’d call friendships, except for one or two from college days fifty years ago. And those are still important to me.
Out There
They changed significantly and for good, during my years as a pastor.
For most of my voting life, I considered myself an Independent, voting for whoever appealed to me and seemed like the wise choice. But my time in the ministry provided a window on the human condition that I would not have gotten otherwise, and with this came a shift in perspective. I began paying closer attention to responsiveness to need, to the way we treat each other, to the way candidates speak and what they say– blatantly and between the lines– with regard to what they truly care about.
I’ve since begun to question religious faith in general, but certain values remain, and my ballot choices are heavily weighted in one direction anymore.
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