Tag Archives: Retrospect

Light And Fog

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The drive home on Saturday night gave me some food for thought. You see, I left Adam’s house just before dusk. When I reached the ridge top a few miles away, I was privileged to witness this gorgeous scene.

The sunset was true to the picture – happy and bright. It reminded me of a watercolor painting with an array of peaches, purples and grays melting into the green trees.

I stopped to snap this photo and started my descent toward home and away from this sherbet colored sky. A few miles down the road, I came around the bend to this scene.

I stop to photograph this barn occasionally but usually when the sky is bright. The fog rolling in was captivating to my eye but the road beckoned me to continue home.

Isn’t that how life is for most of us? The roads we travel can be so different for each of us just depending on when we go. Never mind the vehicle we drive, the company we keep and the resources we carry to help our journey.

It made me think about how different the road can be, just miles away and minutes apart.

While the people traveling high on the ridge may have a beautiful sunset to enjoy, someone further down the road may have nothing to see but grey skies.

Remember that in your travels and when interacting with others. It’s hard to know where they’ve been and whether they’ve been living in the light or struggling in the fog.

Footprints Left Behind

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After a long winter of staying home followed by a few misadventures, it felt positively glorious to drive in the sunshine last night. While I was on a familiar road, I took a detour for a closer look at a couple of places I have driven by plenty of times but never stopped to photograph.

This old farm is one of them.

It reminded me of this quote by naturalist and writer Henry Beston:

An old farm is always more than the people under its roof. It is the past as well as the present, and vanished generations have built themselves into it as well as left their footsteps in the worn woodwork of the stair.

Don’t you wonder who left their footprints behind here? Old homes are not just wood and windows. The earth beneath our feet isn’t just dirt. A farm isn’t just a place to grow corn.

This place was once a home for someone, maybe for generations of a single family. While many people would claim it’s in the middle of nowhere, this farm was once the middle of everything to the people who labored sunrise to sundown just to make ends meet. To you, it’s just dirt. To the farmer who worked this land, it was pure potential.

What we look at determines what we see. What we plant determines what we harvest. What do you see around you? What seeds are you planting in this life? What goodness will you harvest from this life of yours?

You get once chance. Better make it count.

Happiness Is….

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Happiness is a lazy Sunday at home.

I had a chat with Scout before bed on Saturday night, explaining that mental and physical exhaustion is real for those of us who have to earn a living and keep up with adult responsibilities. He will never know this first hand because he’s a cat and I work hard to earn money to give him the life he thinks he deserves.

He listened carefully and, instead of being the 3 a.m. rapscallion we all know he can be, he chose a gentler path that allowed me to sleep. In fact, he let me sleep past ten, something that hasn’t happened since the last time I was sick.

He is a kind and giving soul.

The rest of the day consisted of laundry, dishes, comfort food, Christmas movies, reading and a phone call from a friend. That about covers it and I was glad for a quiet day to do next to nothing. If not for that phone call, I might have even taken a nap.

We all need that quiet day occasionally. Our bodies weren’t intended to be on the go all the time and our minds weren’t designed to be active for every waking minute of the day. Errands will wait. The house can stay dirty. That Facebook message needn’t be answered. One day won’t matter but your body will reward you for the rest.

Don’t believe me? Try it and see what happens.

The View From Here

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This is the George Rogers Clark Memorial in Vincennes, Indiana. I sat on those steps early one fall morning in 2018 and watched the sunrise. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the town was quiet.

I sat here for a long time just enjoying the peace and lost in my own thoughts. That was a rebuilding year for me personally and one of the best things that came out of that time was that I managed a good bit of travel and embraced my status as a single person. Sitting here that morning I realized that I was ok with who I was and the fact it’s just me.

The sunrise view from these steps wasn’t the best but the view of my life from these steps was darn good.

At the end of the day, you’re all you have and no amount of money, no stuff, no job, no relationship and no promises will change that. Embrace who you are, learn to take care of yourself, take the solo trip, eat alone in the restaurant, go live your life.

The sun will rise and set every day. In between the two, there are adventures to be had. Don’t waste a single minute. Get out there and enjoy life.