Alive and Well

August 25, 2017

Last night after supper, Linda and I gathered together our grandkids’ sports schedules and our own activities, and started filling in our calendars. Let me tell you, folks; it ain’t pretty! To be fair, I can’t blame it on the kids. It’s my own choices that are driving me nuts. For the past three years, I’ve done pretty well as a retiree. I haven’t taken on too much, opting instead mostly to just get things done around the house and yard. I’ve gone on the occasional mission trip, preached a few times, but otherwise, have been pretty lazy. It’s been nice. And apparently, it’s pretty much over.

New Horizons Band starts up next week. Wednesday and Friday afternoons; that’s not too much, is it? Tuesdays, I try to make it into Jamestown to visit some friends, attend a pastor’s prayer group, and run errands. I’m usually gone from about 7:00 am till mid afternoon. No problem. But now I’ve taken on a church. It’s billed (at my insistence) as ‘pulpit supply,’ which means I only have to be there on Sundays, but I don’t know how that could possibly be effective, so Monday and Wednesday mornings, I’m in Dunkirk, visiting with people, trying to make connections. Thursdays are low key, but they start early with a 6:00 am prayer time with some men, and Friday mornings is our writer’s group. I don’t know yet when the bass society meetings will be, and I haven’t even started with the grandkids’ schedules, much of which conflicts with stuff already on the calendar. I’ve enjoyed the freedom of not having a fixed schedule. What in the world am I thinking? 

I’m not complaining. Well, maybe I am, but only to myself. I have chosen this life, and am well aware of many people my age and younger who would gladly be mobile and healthy enough to do half what I’ve set out to do. This afternoon, after visiting with some Amish friends, I checked out a truck at a dealership while Linda went for groceries. Not seeing anything I liked, I walked to the store where she was shopping. I was able to walk erect, with an even stride, without pain or shuffling. I can see and hear reasonably well with the help of glasses and hearing aids. Although some might dispute it, my mind is pretty good. In a few minutes we will leave home to have dinner with some dear friends. Why would I want to stop living before I’m dead? I am grateful for the life I’ve been given, and to be able to live it to the full.