Fall 2013 December 17 Tuesday

45 degrees this morning.  Lengthened my bicycle ride a little.

Reading "And the Mountains Echoed", as noted in the last post. 

I rarely have a quote leap out at me as if it was intended for me to read.  That one, really hit home.  Actually the entire book (except for the first part, which I still don't understand), is really speaking to me.

In one chapter, the narrator reviews (from an old age) his life.  What struck me was how the years can pass without any  real realization, even when major events come and go, the time still passes.  In the case of the narrator, he was an assistant (perhaps a servant?).  The years passed and he started as a young man and was old (self described) when the man he worked for died.  Even their relationship was fascinating to read about.

The quote described his feelings after the person he worked for died and he was (i guess you would say) "retired".  He inherited everything , so it appears he was not required to work.

It got me thinking, six years ago, I noted that "in ten years I will be 70".  Obvious, but there is still the journey, which is going to happen regardless of what I do.  I have been here for 12 years, my last job for 13 years (I left to take this job). That is 25 years that has passed in  a flash, yet, my Dad and Mom both passed away during that time, my 11 year old daughter became an adult, married and now has two granddaughters (the oldest of whom is now a teenager), I met and married Aliene, Aliene's mother, who was a lively alert person when I met Aliene, gradually failed and passed on,  Aliene's grandchildren grew from the small children at our wedding to adults etc.  

I'm not sure where this is all going, except this is a pivotable time of my life when any decision I make will reverberate for literally the rest of our lives.  So many times, the entire structure of our lives are based on chance, which I guess is obvious, but when it is happening it is not so obvious.

It will be very difficult to leave Lakeland if it comes to that.  Not the City itself, I expect the changes will destroy the true Lakeland that I love, but still it will be difficult to leave friends and routines we have grown accustomed to.

Christmas Eve is a week away.  Hopefully the weather has reverted to the "regular" weather type.  So far, the weather looks like it should be good.