Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “choices”

26 Feb 2015

Lessons Learned Over Time

There’s this song by The Faces which sings about “I wish I knew what I know now when I was younger”. Now I understand the wisdom of age, but when I was young I was certain I had life figured out. I know now that you can get off course from your younger plans.

Off course: That our ideals are sometimes replaced by practicality, that the dreams are sometimes effected by the reality, that life is full of things to embrace but we often run away from them because of our doubt and uncertainty that they are the right things to be embracing.

So there are lessons learned, and like many of my friends and relatives who are with me on the downhill side of the hill, we have a more complete view of the course we have taken. We can see the victories and the mistakes, the failures and the missed opportunities. But life is still good for many of us. It has its priceless golden moments, it has the love of family and friends.

I have learned many lessons only by my experience. Did someone tell me these things when I was younger? Well yeah, maybe and I just didn’t grasp it. A few of them:

Not going to have a positive life hanging around negative people. One of my sons truly understands this and maybe better than I. It’s kind of obvious, but we often blindly don’t see it. I want to tell my kids over and over, be certain that you are surrounded by people who are positive, who don’t want to shape you like them but let you be who you are. Worth repeating.
If something is broke, fix it… don’t just throw it out. We give up very quickly on some things in life that perhaps we shouldn’t. Like friendships, marriages, diets or breaking bad habits. In today’s disposable society I can understand I guess. Just get a new one. Problem is that it costs something – and not always money- to make that work. We don’t think of that right away.
Time is relative only to you and what you do with it. It is the premise of http://www.tracksinthedust.com. TIme goes fast and dust will shift and your footprints will be gone. But the passage of your time on Earth is what you make of it. Time isn’t really real, it is your part in the spinning world and what you believe will happen after you are gone from it that will make a difference in your life.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Advice, choices, Decisions, Grace, Happiness, Life, life is precious, Memories, Opinion, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Sprituality, Who Are You

13 Feb 2015

Love Rain

Some of you there is still a few icy months of winter left in the season, while others in distant countries may be in the middle of summer. Either way there is something about rain that I like. Perhaps you do too?

It is the cleansing. the renewal, When the snow is finally gotten so dirty that it is grey and unwelcome, here will come the rain. Not flooding rain but constant rain. There is always something true in the warmth of the days of sunshine.It has its own recharging sense ( like supplying a power pill of Vitamin D). Sun is good- not too much to get sunburned, but the feeling on your face on one of those days that is comfortable enough to let the sun pour over you.

But rain has something for me. The washing off of the dryness of the days before it. The reason to stay protected inside if you can, or to run in it from place to place like it would melt you. But you know better. It is the rain of renewal Some distant thunder would be nice to help complete the picture. No violent crashing lighting exactly, but that thunder that rumbles over the horizon and sounds like it carries for miles across the landscape.

Rain. It is there for the renewal, it is there for the days to paint grey before the color comes. It is rain.

The Beatles: Rain
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Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, Beatles, choices, Memories, moments, Postive Thinking, Rain, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Sprituality, Weather Changes, Who Are You

01 Feb 2015

Everyone’s Personal Movie

I am constantly amazed how many cameras there are in our lives today. Everyone has one in their pocket if they own a smartphone, they are there in public places (look, you can see them up there like one big eye-ball staring down at you).

There aren’t many places today where a there may not be a picture or video . In elevators, at parties, in shops and restaurants. Every one brings their selfie to life with the wave of a finger. Some how we have gotten much closer to Orwell’s 1984 vision of big brother it would seem.

I noticed today that there are new inexpensive devices that just hang off your collar or purse. Very small they can be activated in a second and carry full digital video capability . It allows us to be in “our own movie” complete with the reality show friends and strangers who populate your view of life around you. No effort. No getting something out of your purse or pocket. Just a gesture of your hand and you are recording video and sound for your life.

Over the years as I grow older, I realize that there are some fond memories of the past are precious. But in the days of the past no one really thought of pulling out a an old-fashioned movie camera to try to capture the moments. Later when video cameras were available, you still had to remember to have them “at hand” to get the action. Maybe special events where it seemed like a great time to capture the action.

Today there is nothing left to imagine or remember. Just take out the device and push the button. Upload it to the Internet and let it have its permanent place in the “etherweb”. Some of those videos capture ugliness, some capture inappropriate things that should only be a memory, many are not as exciting as those that post them make them out to be. But there they are a permanent entry in the “world-wide web library”.

Comon’- be in my “movie” – my reality TV show of life- complete with fuzzy digital motion that will capture a thread of time that otherwise would have come and gone with nothing but a recollection.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life, Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged being remembered, choices, Digital Videos, moments, Orwell, Reality Check, remembering, Self-Awareness, Selfies, Sharing pictures, Social Networking

07 Jan 2015

New Year or New Day?

Being away from posting on “Tracks in the Dust” for a bit. I wanted to add my comments about celebrating the new year of 2015. We are all looking for milestones in our lives aren’t we? To assure we are making forward progress, to be sure that we can commemorate the passing of a significant moments (anniversary, birthday etc).

Are you ever finished? Where do you draw the line?

A New Day: As it ends, it will start again

Over time I have learned that those special milestones are worthy of celebration, however that also recalls that every single day should be a milestone for life. There is a special meaning in everyday that we are here on this earth. We have time. Time to rejoice in God’s countenance, to embrace our loved ones with the thanks for the comfort and piece of mind that goes with knowing that we are all here for each other.

I am risking being cliché in so many ways. But as the clock struck midnight on 2014 and 2015 had arrived, it seemed like I was profoundly reminded that everyday should be about celebrating that it has come. The calendar is man-made, the pages that turn on it are governed by the 24 hours it contains, but each minute of those hours is a new opportunity to take a breath and understand the meaning of it. We connect with many people over each day, We need to do it with the kindness and compassion that we are all passing through this life “kinda fast” ( as the song “Tracks in the Dust” says).

I am happy for the new year, I am happy for the new day. I am happy that I can share it with others, with the ones I love and that I have the faith to know what will happen when the last day arrives for me. Hopefully you have that comfort also, and celebrate the new day every day.

Happy New Day!

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, cherish, choices, Compassion, Definitions, Faith, Grace, Happiness, life is precious, moments, new day, New Year's Day, Reality Check, Self-Awareness

19 Dec 2014

House Full Of Love

Something that has become much more evident since my wife and I became “empty-nesters.” We love the evenings of solitude, but we miss the “activity” of the house we once had. Four grown up kids later we realize that with that activity came much more.

Sure there was the worry about where your kids were in those teen years when they were “just going out with friends”. Yes there were those late night phone calls with urgent requirements ( I won’t explain, but some of you understand I am certain).

In the end the house was full of motion. We tried to create a “house full of love” that our children could feel comfortable to bring their friends to. To share in the laughter and the angst of growing up together. Rock music bumping loud enough to rattle the ceiling fans. video games going into the early mornings, mysteriously missing food from the pantry, laughter and doors opening and closing frequently.

Believe me some of it got on our nerves as parents, but we knew it would end someday and we were happy to know that our kids were okay. Several of their friends have become like part of our family and we still enjoy hearing from them. Sometimes we hit and sometimes we missed with our kids. Some of our kids understood it and some truly didn’t understand the gift.

Today as they are all adults and moved out, we still truly enjoy them bringing friends (significant others too) over, sharing a meal, relating to the world in so many more levels now than in years gone by. What joy it can bring.

It really is a gift of life, and makes for great moments to share and remember.As my wife and I work to enjoy the passage of time, as we have come to realize that our time here on earth is short and we have come to cherish it even more. At this holiday season what we want more than anything that can be wrapped up with a bow is to embrace our “house full of love”.

For your parents out there with younger kids or adults, you will no doubt at one point or another in the next few weeks step back and take in the moment. It is the only one like it and then time moves on. Embrace it as one of the greatest gifts.