When one retires, one becomes adjusted to a slower, more deliberate, way of living. Most things that have to be done are within a week or two, which gives us time to plan, prepare, research, and organize. Not a bad way to live, actually.
And then. Life. Life has its own life, if you understand my meaning. Life becomes an overlay and now my life has to fit into Life’s life and therein lies the rub. Or pinch. My lovely, calm, clear desk is now littered with ‘important papers’ that I must tend to – right now! Life has no time, or patience, with me planning, preparing, researching, and organizing. All of a sudden, like a new recruit in the military, I must drop and give ‘im 20 sit ups. I’ve got the ‘dropping’ down pat – it’s the 20 I find difficult to manage.
What causes one to shake one’s head is, everything has to be done right now. Immediately! But one must also understand that nothing needing tended to will be resolved immediately. Perish the thought. But my response must be immediate. Why is that? Because Life has its own life and that’s the way Life moves. Why do you think we went from writing and mailing letters to telegrams, to fax machines, to emails, to instant message? Because – Life.
The very first thing I do in the morning is Morning Prayer. It takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on whether I have one or both eyes open (I read my prayers each day because the memory isn’t quite what it used to be). And during that time of praising, thanking, worshiping God – Life is in my phone (going to message); Life is in the kitchen wondering what’s taking me so long to prepare its breakfast; the contents of the inbox in my computer is growing exponentially every two seconds … (sigh) you get the idea.
Mea culpa. I could promise you I’ll never miss another day here on the blog. But I’d be lying to you. Not because I’m a liar by nature but … Life. I can account for me but I can’t account for Life.
Words on the Word 