"Prayer.........................."

"I don't like when precious things slip through people's fingers - especially things that seem defenseless or under-celebrated, but also unheralded people who may have said sensible things at a certain time in history, but who were completely drowned out by other people. Or minor poets whose lives were instructive. Sometimes I'm astounded by the absence of sentimentality in other people. How can you not become attached to the poignant scraps that flow through life?" - Nicholson Baker (borrowed from Whiskey River.com)

Whenever they show us the inside of one of those health spas, be it a commercial or a sitcom, it is always inhabited by well-endowed specimens of both genders pumping iron or burning rubber on a treadmill. The walking track around the soccer field at the local park, however, especially early in the morning, is not the same scenario. Mostly, what one finds there is the older generation, those who have, obviously, just lately came to the opinion that exercise might be good for you. (Try to imagine Tim Conway’s unforgettable portrayal of that elder gentlemen so along in years that his gait almost has him going backwards, moving along side by side with Dom DeLuise who is coping with all his rotundness, and the two of them trying to keep pace with each other) Nobody is in a hurry. Few are taking it seriously. It’s just some fresh air, sunshine, and another day. Me? I count myself blessed. My 73rd orbit of the calendar ends in a couple of weeks and any health issues are undefined at the moment, my choice to let nature run its course, tomorrow left in God’s hands, in His wisdom. No medicine. No doctors other than a bi-yearly checkup where I’ve managed, thus far, to balance my cholesterol and blood pressure with a planned reduction in whatever weight has accumulated along the way. I recently mentioned “Prevagen”, a newly advertised product said to be able to help one’s grey matter function somewhat better, to a friend who immediately searched it out on the computer, but gave it a “thumbs-down” upon learning its consistency comes from the brains of jellyfish. She made me laugh, her disdain taking me mentally to Patrick and SpongeBob, a duo whose intelligence is probably not all that superior to mine as it presently exists. What’s life without some laughter? Whether you’re looking forwards or backwards, the next step needs a bit of humor, some forgiveness, and purpose, even if the latter amounts to nothing more than making a statement that you haven’t yet abandoned the journey. "Bravo!" therefore to all those who tread the path, last minute decision or not. It's a great place to think, to realize you're still breathing fresh air, to enjoy the warmth of the sun rising in the east, and to let your thoughts intertwine with His. There's more to life than just "me", a lot of other people out there, wounded, hurting, bound. How can we occupy it with no tug on our heart concerning the wounded, the hurting, the bound, the enigma of it all, the wonder of it all; and not thirst to see it through His eyes......