Memories | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the tag “Memories”

08 Oct 2013

Passing Through Here Kind Of Fast

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

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, Crosby, David Crosby, Doubt, Faith, Grace, Life, Memories, moments, Nash, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, tracks in the dust

07 Oct 2013

Contradiction

We all get them… There are a lot of mixed messages in today’s’ world.

A lot of it is the fact that we live in the “information age” I think. It happens all around us. No matter what we see or hear, there seems to be a question of reality. We read news, we track social networks, we watch media provide up to the minute real-time events in our living room.

What we see can sometime contradict what we believe is true, and still we may tend to deny what our eyes are seeing.There are other times we see or read something, that won’t validate what we want to believe so we will dismiss it. It contradicts our beliefs and then we are not going to accept the evidence.

There are a lot of people who outwardly say sincerely that they care about people and causes. But their actions contradict that. They follow their religious or personal philosophies, but only when it fits in their lives. Like the message of LOVE and the practice of HATE. They may be saying that people “in need” should be helped, but shouldn’t help them in any way even if they are provided many opportunities. I guess almost all of us need to work harder all the time to focus on people in-need.

It is easy to say and do things that don’t make sense to everything else in our lives. It can be the principle of the moment and long-term it doesn’t play out. But there are many times I think I need to stop and review what is “in-coming” in my life and make sure I am convicted to the “outcome” – and not contradict myself. Does that happen in your life, too?

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Change, choices, Contradiction, Definitions, Information Age, Intentions, Kindness, Memories, Philosophy, Postive Thinking, Reality Check

24 Sep 2013

Triggering Memories

Memories are a good thing. You don’t want to dwell on them every minute of every day, but they signify who you are.

There was a time the other day when I was listening to some music on “shuffle” on my audio system while doing some work around the house. I love the shuffle idea actually, since I have so many songs on my hard drive. I just hit the play button and it shuffles around the 23,000 songs I have.

Some times it means I am having to fish for my remote and move it ahead when something just doesn’t mix right with my mood, but more often I am surprised at what it picks and even what I own.

But there were a couple of songs in a row that truly triggered memories I had long since tucked away. Not like I was trying to suppress them ( and I am sure some psychologist would say I was), but they were just far enough in the past that they hadn’t passed my mind. Those memories were rich with things that made my adolescence a composite memory of joy and wonder

Like I said, I don’t make a chore of sitting in front of old pictures ( not that I have very many from my teen years, since we didn’t have a phone/camera in our pocket those days). I don’t have much time these days to reflect on the past very often, and have come to cherish the present and what it can bring.

But there are those times, when a smell, or something someone says, or a TV program or movie, or some picture can jog memories that have long since been filed. Some are melancholy and some are even more painfully sad, and others are rich with thoughts of time long since passed. It’s good to know they are still “in there” somewhere- in my head.

Do you have that happen to you? Maybe I am an exception, but I think I am not alone.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged being remembered, cherish, choices, Memories, Music, Recalling the past, Remembering the past, Self-Awareness, Who Am I?, Who Are You

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

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.