Thursday, October 30, 2014

"Transition............."

“Autumnal evening chill, knife-edges of the avenues, wind kicking up newspaper off the street, those ghost peripheral moments where you catch yourself beside yourself, going down a stair or through a door and the spirit world surprising you: those birds, for instance, bursting from the trees and turning into shadow, and then nothing, like spirit birds called back to life from memory or a book, those shadows I held in my hands, surprised.” - Stanley Plumly, Old Heart

The above is another quote borrowed from “Whiskey River”, its words catching me yesterday, not so much as a Halloween “spooker”, but as a picture of where I find myself now and then with life catching me in some moment of realization that I’ve been drifting, paying no attention to the clock, and so much time having passed without me having noticed. Is October really almost gone again? Is McKenna actually in Ninth Grade, Noah on the verge of leaving childhood years behind? It sneaks on you. One day the news channel is showing a video clip of Kennedy riding through Dallas and you think to yourself “Wait! This isn’t history! I was there!” And yet here you are, a bit taken aback that it all happened so fast, but calm, peace in your heart, thankful for longevity and grace that came to you along the way. Boo! Ahhhh, you don’t scare me. Inside eternity flows from that reconnection made and maintained. Bring it on. In a couple of hours the car goes out to Henry’s for an oil change. Last night’s midweek Bible class was a surprise, caught with a substitute teacher announcing a lesson on Scriptural references to financial wisdom, me immediately thinking the next ninety minutes or so were going to be terribly boring and then discovering, as we went, how the Holy Ghost can minister to you if you’re willing to listen. High-school basketball season kicks off in fifteen days. Tuesday I need to go vote. Life…. happens. There’s a verse in 1st John, though, that declares “Perfect love casts out all fear”. Sounds like a good place to end this……..

2 comments:

  1. Good one, Jim. Lot of the same thoughts floating around in my grey matter as well. Oy. I had to chuckle at your ending. It is a good thought to focus on indeed.

    Love the quote also.

    PS. Seemed like your grand-daughter was just in grade 4 the other day!!

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    1. It goes too fast. Thank goodness for memories whereby we are able to "keep" it at least in part.....

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