Well I got by another year assuming I get through today and tomorrow. It has struck me that many of us keep living the same life we lived before over and over again. It wasn't always like that for me. I used to get out in the middle of the river and splash around until something happened. If this something wasn't good I'd do my best to right the situation and with prayer the situation was righted. There were many times that my splashing brought up good things, fresh fish to eat and enjoy.
As I reflect on my life I can see many decisions that brought love and joy and success of some kind. I saw my wife. She was beautiful, gorgeous. Set my sights on her despite the nagging feeling that she would never see anything good in me. But after pursuing her for four or five years she finally caught me. Together we had a great life. We never stopped loving although she had early onset Alzheimer's which threw a wrench into our enjoying. Yet it was her journey she had to take and I was privileged to take it with her. It was tough but I wouldn't change it at all since it was a journey she had to take. We loved on a level we never would have reached if we didn't have this battle to fight. We had, I still have a wonderful family that has grown exponentially counting grandkids etc., I have to admit that it wasn't always exciting. Like the movies, we remember the scenes but have to edit out the boring moments when we were caught in ruts and were bored as hell!
I pretty much did it all, and I mean my "all", Music, writing songs, playing gigs hitting double "C,s" on my Trumpet, Acting for 15 years after I hit middle age but before that was an executive with a motion picture company (a young man on the rise), then slowed down as I reached middle management with a financial institution. The point is I didn't sit on my butt, I got out into the fray and tried to make things happen and things did happen some good some bad but for the most part life was lived.
But as I reflect on the outgoing year I let my age slow me down. Didn't make waves. Accepted life as it was thrown at me. I let the river currents move me around instead of swimming against the current to get where I should be in life. I always felt if the glass was empty it could be filled again and the wine should be savored until the glass is drained ready to be filled again.
My resolution for the New Year is to get out in that river and splash around until things happen. Bad things might happen but for every bad thing there is a good thing waiting around the corner. So there may be endings but for every ending there is a new beginning. Just because I am elderly doesn't mean I can't drink the wine of life and enjoy it to the fullest. The New Year seems very exciting to me now that I have made the resolution to face it with gusto. My motto, "Live, Love and be Happy!
