Thoughts On A “Walk-Around…”

SAT., DEC. 26, 1998, 1:16 PM
FARM, STUDY

Just in from a walk around the south portion of your land… the pasture… you have removed your sweaty shirts (despite freezing temperatures), and now settle in for a Teaching. You plan to commence Our Ruminations this afternoon, also, but, first it’s important to hear from Me, with Christmas now past.

The Christmas celebration wasn’t spectacular, but it was satisfying and “just about right” for one your age. You heard the music, sang the familiar carols, and heard, yet again, the story of My birth, as Jesus. Good food was enjoyed (even as you missed the turkey), and it was fun to receive some gifts and to have ones you gave appreciated.

Now you are home alone, with several tasks that could be accomplished. You thought you might be able to muse as you made that now-familiar walk around the pasture, but you weren’t successful at that. Oh, you’ve made some progress, but an actual muse still doesn’t come easy and natural to you. Just keep attempting… without compulsive trying.

This is a beautiful place, even in this time when much of the green turns to brown and grey. There is Michael’s large, green pine to your left, but most of the leafy trees are barren, for a season. This is your second season as Emeritus, and you haven’t done much to let the beauty of this Farm shine forth. You are establishing a new rhythm, but you realize you still are in transition from your academic career… still not completely retired from it. This walk around… the pasture should be a symbol of what eventually will be. Your retirement is not likely to be one of travel, but, rather, a time to clarify perspectives on life, that here in the earth and that which is everlasting and eternal.

The culture of which you are a part is one with a high value on success, accomplishment, and hard work. You achieved “your share” of those, and now you must move to a quieter, less accomplishment-oriented, contemplative time. Much that happens, and is reported, daily, weekly, and monthly shall be of less consequence to you, while contemplation of events and ideas from the past, the present, and that could be part of the future should deserve your attention, as “undivided” as possible.

For example, you observed your fence, as you took your “walk around…” Two sides of it represent the line that separates your property from that of others. The other two sides mark the difference between your pasture and other parts of your Farm. For your cattle the fence represents both restriction and security. In most places, as they look across the fence they see nothing more appealing and tempting than what they have. Throughout your life you have taken opportunities to “go beyond the fence” and achieve beyond what might have been expected. Now you feel quite comfortable with the security of this place and this region.

Yet occasionally the cows do break out and experience a bit of the world “beyond the fence”. Will this be good for you to do? Will the Y2K experience force you from the comfortable niche you now have? Can you see such unexpected happenings as new adventure or terrible interruptions of your comfortable life?

You feel as though you’ve had enough adventurous experience in this life, but you also know some further ones may be “forced upon you”. Retain as much adaptability as you can, and know that such “powers” are retained and increased through use. To STAY adaptable (which is one necessity for good, positive health) you must BE adaptable.

Be conscious of the rhythm of your life. It is now “a-changin’”, but it still needs some adventure, uncertainty, and challenge. Be aware… and appreciative… of events that help make this new rhythm more suitable for you.