Amazing Times...

Amazing times.... people lament "how they wish things were like they used to be," but no matter who we try things will keep evolving and changing on its own momentum.  I'll admit that quite often I will pause and reflect on who it would be nice to go back to do some Christmas shopping in a 1960's version of my old hometown, but on reflection I know it was not a sweet as memories play it out to be.

Firstly, there were some tough things to deal with in that old small town setting.  Finding a place to park, braving the winter weather, and darting in and out of shops that had limited selection were the norm.  Plus, now if a local merchant does not stock something we can always order online- and it is at our door in two days or less.

Were those days better or worse?  I suppose it was just different.  When we look backwards into our youth there are great memories of growing up in what we feel were simpler times- however the adults of that era had their own struggles to contend with.  Savor the good memories, as it is good to stir up those warm fuzzy feelings of when we grew up.  Our parents were just as befuddled about raising us and the challenges of that time.  As you share "how it was' with the youth around you it is fine to give them the talk on what was good about those times, but just remember that it was all tempered with the reality of the moment.

Look around at what we have in today's world and be mindful that things will always change.  Some wring their hands over how to police social media, what IOS to embrace, how to make public places and homes more secure.... things so challenging that it often causes some heads to spin.  Rather than staying in the what if-bad zone, instead feel good about the new technology items that are making your life better- how did we ever live without cell phones, Amazon, Google search, social media, iPads....etc?   Temper your thoughts by realizing that in a couple of decades from now it will all be old hat as the "next new thing" will have consumed what you hold near and dear now.  Embrace the goodness of life and make what you have a positive to drive you forward!

Seasonal Ebb and Flow

Isn't it interesting how the mood of our lives in our society seems to follow the ebb and flow of the seasons? We often are so consumed by just "doing our best" as we surf life from day-to-day that we are oblivious to the grand scheme of things that swirl about us making up the quilt of our lives. Life is punctuated by events that act like batons in a relay race as it keeps us in the race. Seasons, holiday dates, sporting schedules, new music, plays, movies or TV programs previewing, family milestones all energize us as me move in a fervor to immerse ourselves in the latest and greatest that has floated to the top. These are the things that make life worth living.

Think of what stands out head and shoulders above the mundane as you cast your mind backwards over what excited you during the past year. From "what are you doing New Years Eve" to the gifts that you juggled last Christmas, we are constantly driven by "the next big thing" on our agenda.

None of this was innate as our culture conditioned us to respond appropriately to what is expected of us in every social situation. Our elementary school days surrounded us with seasonal bulletin boards and a calendar built around holidays as they counted the quantity of days over the quality of the days. Secondary school upped the ante by adding in the mix of seasonal sports and getting a date for the next social dance to teach us how to behave in the right way at the right time. College days and the workplace added in the focus on the right career, right place to live, and how to raise a family in the right way. How long have we been "keeping up with the Joneses" in our struggle to keep the baton in play in our actual relay for life?

All of this sounds pre-packaged and industrialized when we feel like we have been pawns in a society that is centered on conditioning us to constantly behave in the appropriate way as we surf through the seasons of life. In real-time however, it is these ever-changing attention grabbers that instills in us a zest for life. Our money is spent on responding to the seasons in the right way, and it rewards us with good feelings as we sense that it has been a job well-done. Looking ahead to the "next big thing" is what keeps us driving ahead. the great by-product here is that this is the fuel that drives our economy, which in turn dives our jobs, which provides us with income to look to the next big thing and complete the circle. I'm sure you get the picture here. It is a case where the clinical actual is not what it seems, as ignoring the big picture and just living life is what gives us a smile and a glow.

If marching to the right beat and responding to the next big thing in the right way is the driving force of our economy and our very lives is it a good thing or bad? Our nation keeps rolling along as we strive to be fulfilled. We keep the baton in play, yet at times we wonder what would happen if we fumbled the hand off. Generation after generation pauses at times to lament the way things seem to be changing, yet society survives and we morph gently into another rendition of ourselves either through our work, our connections, and our family. Life happens all around us and we either embrace it and make the best of it, or we devour ourselves with resistance. What is your approach to the race? How do you handle the baton? Embrace the day, but do not lose site of the big picture as you are in charge of living your life to the fullest.

...and then there is reality television. Some things are just beyond explanation.

Summertime

Weather is such a driving force in our lives as it dictates our attire and our actions.

Summer is such an opposite to winter in the mountains in so many ways. Suddenly life is evident everywhere, unlike winter when you seem to have to look for it. Flowers take on a common nature as we just get used to their beauty while they were such a novelty in early spring. Leaves and grass grow like wildfire. The sun encourages everyone to come out an play. Everyone has their mood altered by the seasons, and all seem to develop a thirst for taking a vacation.

We reflect on the years and seasons past, and wonder why we still have no time to finish (or even start) all of those tasks we put off until nicer weather. Many of us secretly savor the moments of moving about our summer routines while we go about complaining how it is just "too darn hot."

Isn't it amazing that our main topic of conversation always returns to the weather?

Winter wanes..hopefully

Seems like this has been "round two," as far as the weather woes go, as we have endured two successive nasty winters which seem to linger around as we ooze into spring. While last winter hit the Appalachian hills with some thunderous knock out punches, this waning season of '11 was more of a dull aching day-to-day bout with just enough winter to make you long for summer breezes.

To welcome smiles, March "came in like a lamb," giving us a breath of spring air as the ground was uncovered from its blanket of snow finally and the early flowers and buds started popping out all over.

Isn't it amazing how the changes of the seasons seem to alter our outlook on life? In my ramblings this always seems to fill my mind like ocean waves as i become pleasantly distracted by the new found energy surrounding each seasonal change.

As the typical one-day-warm-the next-day-cold of early spring gives way to sizzling summer winds i will host an inner smile remembering the various incarnations of the seasons and how it sets the beat and moods of our lives. Enjoy the wonders!

I thought it was time to stop by Blogger once again, as I took time off for the winter- actually, working in my schools as a specialist has had me quite busy, and I have neglected my posts here. As the buds on the trees have started to become legitimate leaves here in the hills I am taking stock of things I have shoved to the back of my too list and pushing forward.- thus my post today! Spring is miraculous as it seems to energize everything- including me! how about you????

September Swirls

The calender has flipped to September and the leaves have taken that fall looking tint, and in fact some are falling. Football, cheerleaders, bands, soccer, and schooldays are upon us. It always is exciting to move form season to season as decorations, sports, and our moods seem to change. It is almost like we skate form season to season riding on the incredible highs of the newness of the moods around us. It seems the atmosphere is charged with a mood that allows fo achievement. Take a deep breath and inhale the excitement and all the promise that the new season promises!

July fades to August...

Wow! I suppose we are moving toward Autumn as the local high school bands and footballers are on the move as the calender flips to August tomorrow….Ah the “summer wind” as Sinatra sang….the most wonderful time of the year in so many ways! Although the foliage still has the “summer green look” to it it won’t be long until the leaves turn that dark green color just prior to turning into a blaze of beauty. I have a few trees here at Sumner Place that always seem to turn first and begin to cascade to the ground in a furry carpet. Fall is wonderful with its orange, red, and a multitude of browns and tans, and it certainly has its own beauty. One of the nice things about living in the mountains is the pronounced four seasons we enjoy. I’ll begin to be on the lookout for those few trees to give me the siren call of autumn coming, but for now I’ll linger a bit over the next days and weeks to savor the wonder of summer!