Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

15 Sep 2013

All Summer Long

There it is – almost “autumn” again. Fall. The time when as I remember in my youth was the beginning of school, the time when days get shorter and nights get colder.

Autumn is a pleasant time really, except that the rainy days start to show up and knock down the leaves. The wind kicks up and shakes the trees. In the days of old, its harvest time. Time to collect up provisions and get ready for winter.

But for most of us its been the turn of a calendar that brings summer to a close, takes on the idea that we are getting older but wiser. In the US it means holidays ahead like Halloween ( is that really a holiday?) and Thanksgiving and Christmas. Time for family and friends – for remembrances.

Light a candle in the window, put a log on the fire. Pull out the sweater and warm socks. Its autumn.

But then again. Living in Texas (where I have been for 13 years)- it’s not one of those things seem so real at the moment. It’s between 90 and 100 every day. The rain is missing (we are in a stage 3 drought), the lakes are 18 feet too low. The trees are still green and air conditioners are humming in the neighborhood through the night air. But that’s okay. After all for those on the other hemisphere its the beginning of a new season that will bring the warmth. I met someone the other day that has never seen snow (lived in Texas his entire life and never went far enough north into the US).

So we all have our image of “autumn” – the change of the seasons that mark time in our lives.

Loving the days of summer, Autumn arrives on schedule.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life, Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Autumn, being remembered, choices, Halloween, Happiness, Memories, Slow Down, Texas, Thanksgiving, tracks in the dust

09 Sep 2013

Songs About “Changes”

There are so many songs about changes. This song always reminded me ( along with Bowie’s Changes) that no matter what happens, everything changes except for change itself.

I know for me every time I get comfortable with the routine, cruising on “normal” – then something changes. And I feel silly thinking “why did that happen”? Because in the reality of life, changes are good. Things have to change, and when it feels like it hasn’t you have to wonder. Seasons, time, a purpose to everything (Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds).

So if you don’t know it now- “before long you will find out”.

What are songs in your life that signify changes?

It’s a matter of choices
And a matter of time
For you it’s a matter of drive

You will let nothing
Get in your way
You set to conquer
Each single day

Everything Changes
But change itself
You can take out
What you think you know put it
Back on the shelf

And would you believe me
If I’d spoke my mind?
‘Cause nobody gets there they just
Try, try, try

Everything Changes
But change itself
Like a bird you’d sooner fly away
But you’re stuck in yourself
As everything Changes….

We stay the same
But we stay the same
You keep turning
Before long you’re going to find out
What’s in a name

So you look for the answer
Then pull it apart
Tear it up ’til there’s nothing there
‘Cause it hurts your heart

Everything Changes
And for what you lack
You keep turning
Before long you’re going to find out
Everything Changes
It’s not hard to tell
Like a bird you’d sooner fly away

Timing is Everything (karenmulvey.wordpress.com)
“Turn and Face the Stranger” (missbabybrysonthoughts.wordpress.com)
Songs About “Time” from Tracks In The Dust

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life, Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Acceptance, Byrds, Change, choices, Doubt, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Songs About Changes, tracks in the dust, Turn! Turn! Turn!

04 Sep 2013

4 Comments

The Results of a Job Well Done

I have been away from blogging lately because my wife and have been working on a major home remodeling project. The end result will be to make our home more comfortable and attractive of course; more to our liking to make those casual days at home provide more pleasant surroundings.

But we also realized something else when we most recently spent a holiday weekend (3 days) working hard on the project at hand. Working hard for those changes also meant a new change for our environment, but also a great feeling of accomplishment. Sure you can get the reward of accomplishment at work or school, and those too can be satisfying. But also making your “living space” more personal, more “you” – and working hard to do it has its own reward.

There are weekends when we spend the entire weekend being as casual as we can- “at rest” and we know that we have earned it after a long week of work and errands. So we appreciate it and make sure we do those things that are worthy of the casual time we had invested. After-all, after the weekend it will be back to work… back to focusing on earning our keep, taking on the responsibilities we have become accustomed.

But its interesting that the results of the work-filled weekend of projects has some feeling of satisfaction that is equal to (maybe even more than) the casual weekends we have spent. A moment to stand-back and admire the sweat equity of our labor. We have made improvements to our nest, we have increased our comfort. Some long hours of making things better for the sake of “us”- not for the earnings, not for the rewards for recognition from others. Simply for the knowing that we have produced a “job well done” and we get to embrace the rewards we have created … whew.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, Change, choices, Emotion, Feeling of accomplishment, perspective on life, Philosophy, Sweat equity, Work–life balance, Working time

22 Aug 2013

How Many Friends?

Flickr friends (Photo credit: Meer)

In the days of social media the term “friends” has taken on a whole different meaning. Years ago before the word became a measurement of success by accumulating the highest number possible, friends were more likely the genuine type.

Yes, there were those fleeting friends that came and went, some you may not be able to recall their last name or exactly where they were inserted in your life. But there were those friends that mean something even now. It doesn’t mean that you text them every day, or write emails to them even monthly, but they are “there” and they represent a place in your history that is significant.

Those friends may count for a large portion of who you are, or they had made an impression that was mutual as you traveled through the timeline (another word that has changed its meaning these days). They may be the closest confidant or someone who you shared experiences with that were beyond the every day trip to the shopping mall.

Friends can count (instead of counting friends) – and can make the difference. It is still amazing that in those cases you can meet up with them after a long absence, and start right where you left off. You can enjoy the news of what has happened in their lives as more that just a casual observer. You can embrace their family or friendships they have made along they way and appreciate that history.

There are those friends that are there for you, at a moments notice. No matter how silly it may seem in the afterthought, they were there for you in the moment, It provides one of the real purposes in your life as you live it.

There is this song that I remember from a long time ago (1975) from The Who. It reminds me that true friendships are precious and should be cherished. They take you as you are…

The Friends You Can Count On (thesimpledollar.com)

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life, Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Acceptance, Emotion, Faith, Friends, Friendship, Genuine Friends, life is precious, Music, Real Friends, Social media, The Who

20 Aug 2013

4 Comments

You Can Never Go Back

Lately I have found myself with the chance to visit with old friends I haven’t seen in ages. It has been an absolute joy. The echoes of the remembrances are fun to hear, and I have realized they have so much importance in who I am today.

But as much fun as it is to look at the past and enjoy the things that made that time special (although it didn’t always seem that special at the time), just can’t help thinking about the adage ” You can never go back”

That isn’t a bad thing, if you did go back in time knowing what you know now, it would certainly be different. If you went back to the present day friends and haunts from the past, it wouldn’t be the same either. Yes, it is okay to visit and capture those memories and have a chance to relive some of the experience. But in the long-run you will out stay your welcome – reality comes back and you would notice you are older (but hopefully wiser) – maybe a bit more jaded and less willing to accept the things that may not have bothered you in the past.

So as my wife and I have said to our kids often enough, be sure to be facing forward in your life, look for the next opportunity to grow in your life, spiritual growth, and all of the things that you can reach for.
Don’t forget who you are either, It is that past that brought you here. You cannot discard it like it didn’t happen, you lived it and it served you as well as it could. You made good decisions, experienced bad ones, had some luck and misfortune along the way.
Take nothing for granted, life is short and you need to wrap yourself in all of what it is- past, present and future. But you can’t ever go back and have it be the same,.. but the future is left to be written.