Absurd Ski Season!

    Here it is late December and not a snow flake on the ground in my yard!  A series of rainy days possibly continuing through the rest of the week.  My hopes for a magnificent ski season are being dashed.  An unbelievable weather pattern.  It struck me hard this morning as I took the garbage out and saw earthworms crawling on my driveway!  That is a the kind of scene I would normally see as spring approaches in late March.  See photo!

    As you might expect I am feeling severe withdrawal  from my normal routine of heading for the slopes each morning for my daily fix.    When you are a geezer, you recognize your  days on earth are numbered and you don't want to miss the joy of skiing as long as you can.  Perhaps all the gloom in my attitude comes from mourning the recent loss of one of our geezer skiers.   

    On the brighter side, I still have hopes January will bring a change in the weather pattern and some cold weather at least for making snow.  Unfortunately I heard this morning that 2023 will go down as the warmest earth in thousands of years!  Meanwhile, I will maybe write more of this blog, brush up on my piano skills to be able to duet with my grandson, and complete all the chores I probably should be doing at home.  No problem keeping busy next week since I have multiple body maintenance appointments with my doctors.   They don't call us Tough Old Geezer Skiers without a reason.  

And Happy New Year all.   My cup of life is still full and running over!

Valiant Earthworm on My Driveway

December 28, 2023

Encouragement

    As I was coming back from putting the garbage out this morning I was blessed with a low flying flight of geese highlighted against a beautiful blue sky. They were in a ragged vee formation and the morning was filled with sound of their honking.   I understand that geese honk to encourage each other and the formation reduces air drag on the followers of the leaders.  Also  I think the leaders fall back as they tire and new leaders take their place.  What a wonderful example of group cooperation and encouragement.

    From this observation, I am led to thinking about the encouragement I have had from family, friends and groups that I have associated with.  In a few moments I will be going to our Greek Peak Geezer Skiers more or less monthly lunch.  Our group is quite informal, but somehow the task of initiating our lunch outings has fallen to me.   I do not mind the task but recognize the time will come to pass the baton to the next leader.  Meanwhile, I am happy to be the de facto leader since the group has continued to encourage me.   

    With the new ski season essentially upon us, I happy to say my wife, friends and geezer associate are encouraging me to keep at it.  As always in my later senior years, I have some trepidation that I still have the skills to continue an activity that has been so much of my life since I retired.  Okay.  As long as I can do it I'll be hitting the slopes. Maybe I need a honker buddy by my side to show me the way.

Sun and Shadows

     I did my morning exercising a little earlier today.   Looking out the windows of the sun room I was treated to a remarkably beautiful scene of sun and shadows.  The stark demarcation between sun bathing the neighbors house and lawn accentuated the contrast between the sun and shadows in a way that underlined the differences.  In a sense it could be related to the metaphorical sun and shadows of our lives and existence. 

      Without the shadows I think we would not fully appreciate the good things that come to us.   Going through the shadow times of difficulties and then breaking through to the better times can make us fully appreciative of the wonders of the world and our existence.   

     My wife, an ordained pastor in her retirement continues to preach in a couple of churches in the area on a regular basis.  Today's sermon was titled Rejection.   Bear with me now.  I want to tie the sermon message to the contrast between sun and shadow.  The gist of her sermon was to demonstrate that beyond rejection by family or society or circumstances there is redemption.  One can come out these setbacks and find gratifying acceptance of ones self, and for the faithful the bright light of God's love will bring contentment and hope to their lives.

    Beyond the thoughts above, I am reminded of the experiences on the ski slopes on a sunny day when there are a sharp contrasts between the brightly lit snow and the shadows and shapes among the trees.   The patterns of shadows are things of beauty in their own right.  It often inspires me to meditate on the incredible complexity of the evolution of the earth.

Seven Windows!

     During my morning exercise  in my recumbent bike in our sun room,  I was struck by the panorama of the beautiful Autumn morning  framed by the seven bare windows!  Notably, we are in the process of preparing the room for the painters.   All the blinds and curtains are down so there is a new perspective of the neighborhood.  Perhaps this is reminder that change is good.   It changes your view of things and makes you appreciate things that may be partially obscured by veils of one kind or another.

    This leads me to think about other types of veils occurring as we live our lives.   Perhaps we develop cobwebs of thinking in our brain that prevent us from appreciating other viewpoints.  Sometimes in problem solving we let past procedures dominate our attempts to reach a conclusion.   I am a dedicated crossword fanatic.  Often, however, I come up to a brick wall with some of the difficult level puzzles.  Frequently the solution will only come after backing away to refresh new pathways to the answers. 

    Lastly, I am beginning to contemplate the beginning of a new ski season in a couple of months or so.   Will I approach this new season with different perspective?  I have to confess that I am recognizing my physical abilities are suffering decline from aging.   Perhaps the hours on the slope will be shorter and the coffee breaks will be longer.  Also  I regret that more and more of my geezer friends are exiting in one way or another. 

    Returning to the metaphor of the blazing light of bare windows, maybe this is a wake-up call to honor those leaving the Geezer group.  It is also a good reminder to welcome new associates.   

    Finally, who knows what may trigger the above muses on this blog?

Happy Birthday Social Security!

     Today 88 years ago in 1935, the Social Security act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Coincidentally 1935 is the year of my birth.  Fortunately for my parents, they were able to retire with dignity by the time they reached 65.    I, too, am grateful for this act since Social Security now supplements my income from other retirements awards and allows me and my wife to live comfortably into my late eighties and hopefully for a few more years as well.   

As a reminder, our contributions over the years to this fund is part of the social contract, where we are sharing in the responsibility for our well being as a partner with our government.  I am thankful that a stable government honoring the needs of our people gives us a security we would not otherwise have.

    I'll bet many geezer skiers will join me in congratulating the visionaries that enabled elevating people of this country from the curse of poverty in old age.   And for some, maybe the Social Security income finances their season pass!

Life Well Lived

    A couple of days ago I happened upon the following quote from the author Andre Dubus.   "We don't have to live great lives, we just have to understand and survive the ones we've got."

    It struck me that there is a lot of wisdom in this quote.    This comes from a writer who suffered many tragedies in his life but still soldiered on in spite of the setbacks.  I think that most of us at one time or another, or even continually,  want to live great lives.   Often our hope is to achieve at levels that exceed our contemporaries.  We want to be known for greatness that will stand the test of time.  

     However, life has a way of throwing us curves.  Author Dubus had a daughter who was raped and caused him to continually fear for the safety of his loved ones.   He was also tragically injured in an auto accident which crushed both legs.  Ultimately he suffered amputation of one of his legs.    I am sure he continually struggled to understand these events.   And so it is for all of us.   We encounter the good and the bad.   Beyond that, we survive and deal with our fate, whatever  it may be,  and hopefully we live a good life in harmony with our family, our friends, and our society.  In spite of it all, I am personally happy to say I find joy in  many things that far outweighs the unexpected events of life.

    As a note from a geezer skier, I am grateful that I can anticipate another ski season with my long time companions.   I am not a great skier but I am happy with what skills I have.

Reflections on Rituals

    Almost every day I following the same morning ritual of rising at a particular time followed by a standard breakfast of toast and two cups of hot water.  Later in the morning around nine o'clock I am on my recumbent bike in our sun room,  for an hour of moderate exercise.  I have a panoramic view through the many windows of the street past our home.  The view gives me an observation post regarding the activities of my neighbors.  Just as I am into a routine, I notice that several of my neighbors are faithful with their morning exercise.   

    My view gives me a window on ritual practices by my neighbors.  I can almost set my watch by one lady who enhances her walk by swinging the weights she has in each hand.   She walks clockwise around our block.  Another  neighbor in his walk rotates the block in the opposite direction.  While this is going on eventually I see the neighbor in the residence across the street raise his garage door for an apparent ritual morning excursion.   Obviously, we humans, often become ritualistic creatures of habit.

    Beyond these morning rituals I have observed there are the dog walkers.   One woman walks her dog multiple times around the block until he becomes tired and then she continues solo for a few more turns.   Another gentleman has a very senior dog!  Their pace is painfully slow.  I am not sure how long their ritual dog walk will last, but I will be watching what happens.  

    Probably many people observe me and notice my rituals.  I am alright with that.  Thank God that with my advanced years I am both comfortable with my rituals of daily life and occasionally willing to break out of the routine if necessary.  Visitations by family and to family have a way of changing my rituals.  I tolerate that for a time but I am happy to return to my order of the day.   I am not one to continually live in chaos.   Perhaps that comes from a German ancestry that adheres to the statement:  Alles ist in Ordnung.