I have learned, never take a day for granted. My dad used to say “the world is your oyster”. There are plenty of pearls I suppose out there. But it all starts with a grain of sand.
Microscopic view of sand on the beach
Our lives have to mean something while we are here on earth. The one grain of truth can be shared to make a beautiful thing or can ignite hate and fear. One simple thought can generate the grace of the spirit or it could be something that contributes to the darkness of wasted time and an energy that leads nowhere.
So we have a choice, to make the best of each day whether it starts with the smallest things or is full of events that make up your life. Staying at home behind your doors and drowning in the circumstance of life can waste away the gift of the time we have and wear away at the spirit of our being.
So whatever life we have left ( a minute, a day, a year, many years?) is ours to do with what we want. Choose grace. Choose to let each grain of sand become a pearl that will last much longer than you will be allowed. It is what matters most I think. Of course that depends on your perspective.
I used to think that sleep was great. I could “sleep in” on a Saturday till noon.
I don’t remember any more what that feels like. I was a young buck when that happened last I think.
I went through my period of thought that “sleep was under-rated” – the old adage that I will “sleep when I am dead.”
But really sleep is obviously something we need to have to recharge. I need to recharge more some days than others. But I have thosedays. You probably do to. Your mind won’t shut off at the end of the day. You are tired but you can’t sleep. The alarm-clock will not give extra time back. So there you are… Or worse when you finally get to sleep and the alarm goes off and now you are dead tired! Even though you weren’t hours before.
I have my days where the early bed time sounds great, but my head is just going too fast to shut off.
Maybe it’s because I am getting older. Thinking about a million things that I really can’t change, things that could definitely wait till morning. Reviewing what happened, thinking about what could happen tomorrow.
Deep breaths, getting in the zone to drift “miles away” , making warm milk or something. Seems like sleep would be nice.
It is really the basis for a lot of decisions in our life. It plays on us – chips away at the confidence of a decision. It can influence the paths we take, the things we say, the attempts we make on the important things we do and the trivial things.
Recognizing it is part of the challenge. Some times our brave selves, our fearless selves get in the way and can let us go ahead with a bad idea as well. It is a great equalizer.
Even those people who you know who seem fearless, who tread ahead without regard for the outcome. They have their own fears and doubts. Even they are uncertain at times. Quietly they may approach some things that others are amazed. But there are deep-seated fears there.
Fear, uncertainty and doubt. It can rule you or you can adjust. You can have trust where you didn’t before, You can look at things in a different way, you can step out of your comfort zone and prove something to yourself. If there are failures, looking at them as short-term set backs may be right. Taking another whack at things isn’t out of the question many times. You can convince yourself there is no 2nd chance. But that is possibly FUD happening again.
So let’s face it 🙂 there are many obstacles in your way. Creating more isn’t a good idea. I am working on over coming my FUD factors – it is something that is going to take constant reminding – starting from ME. Remembering that HE is there for me always. Taking the time to make the time to be ready.
Back in my childhood I remember the evening newspaper landing on the front porch every night. My dad would come home from work, kick off his shoes, sometimes make up a cocktail and read the paper. When I got interested in what they used to call “current events” I was watching TV.
Even in my youngest days the biggest news would show up on the airwaves and most of the public would watch it. After all, we had 3 national networks to choose from. You had a choice who you liked, who you trusted. Assassinations, moon landings. war’s on TV, protesters, politicians, national news and local news all came through the TV screen on one of the few channels the airwaves could send our way.
Things have changed. We get our information in such a different way. My grown children don’t even own a connection to a TV source. No antenna, no cable. They get their news from the Internet. Though the smartphones and the computers they have in their hands. Portable. Anywhere. That is the great part of the “information age” .
But now those 3 channels have turned into a multitude of options. The newspapers are shuttering their doors, the TV channels that had been so robust in reporting the news are now full of talking-heads who are spouting their opinions on any topic that will sell more commercials and make people who think the same way happier.
So here we areon the Internet. There is an endless source of information on the world-wide web. But that has made the news have a thousand alternate versions. A view-point becomes a fact, a fact becomes distorted, a picture tells a thousand words but the words don’t match the picture. The photos are photo-shopped, and the captions frequently don’t match the event. The world is instantaneous. News from the other side of the world can show up on your iPad less than 30 seconds after the event. Two minutes later you can read the view points of every one who wants to declare their position.
So its TMI. Too Much information. There doesn’t seem to be a “filter” at all. It is going to keep coming and we all have to make the best of it.
That is what can make blog-posts on WordPress exciting. Connected people can make a difference. It is what we can all do since we are inter-connected human beings from all over the world. We can verify that the entire world isn’t going down in flames. There are a lot of things we all have in common. It is the goodness of the information age. It is our chance to remove the filter and understand each other. I am thankful for that. Hope you are too.
I had someone ask me the other day why I call my WordPress blog “Tracks in the Dust”.
We all know that we are human and only here on this Earth for a precious small amount of time in the scheme of things. Some of us shorter than others, we have a bit of time to enjoy life, cherish it. pass on the wisdom and faith to the others coming behind us.
Eventual we all will have to count on what we have done while we were here on this planet to leave our impressions on the lives and souls of others. Some of them we may not ever realize we had done anything, but that small thing- that action of “grace” may last forever and move forward in someone else’s life. Eternity will let us know someday.
Still some of what we are doing will be simply “tracks in the dust”. Leaving an impression that the wind of time will blow away.
That is what made this song by David Crosby ( of Crosby, Stills and Nash) such a special one for me. Why my blog is named what it is. All that “hippie” hopefulness seems to wane with age. But it is still there as we passing through here kind of fast.
Tracks in the Dust
Four of us were having dinner
And I threw down the paper with a curse
And my wife said, “Complaining doesn’t get it
You got to do something or you can bet it
Will get worse”
And my friend said, “You’ve been watching TV too much
And all that hippie hopefulness is just a crutch”
But if thinkin’ that way helps you
To make it through the night
Then who am I to say what’s wrong and right
But I think, we’re passing through here kind of fast
Did you think these tracks in the dust would last
I think, we’re passing through here kind of fast
Did you think these tracks in the dust would last?
So you think we should just sit here
And have another glass of wine
While the world goes to hell
Which you know damn well
It’s going to do just down the line
And his lady said, “I don’t know how can you be so sure
I mean some things seem to get better
You know the hero still saves the
Damsel in distress, the villain doesn’t get her
And I said, “Where have you been living
I mean they’re selling death in the streets”
Cheap and the lying politicians
Are rolling in the profits they reap.
And he said, “He’s right honey
But I think it’s always been that way”
And he smiled kind of patiently
And I knew he was going to say
I think, we’re passing through here kind of fast
Did you think these tracks in the dust would last
I think, we’re passing through here kind of fast
Did you think these tracks in the dust would last
Tracks In The Dust 