These Words They Are A Changin’

Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash (Kentucky, 2017)

I will admit that I am not always a good human. While the dog spent the week at his vacation spa, the cat stayed home with the neighbor coming by to feed and check on him.

So, it was a little unkind of us last night when we had a chuckle over the fact that he was hoarse.

Not to worry, he was back in full voice by yesterday.

I mentioned yesterday that I spent some time at the beach making a list of things that I need/want to change. One happens to be one of my three words for 2024.

Annually I pick three words that I chose to focus on in the coming year. Some years more than others, they serve as a guide.

My Three Words for 2024 were(are): Flexible, Creative Concerned.

Flexible because I know that plans are always in flux, and I need to be able to run with that.

You will note that I did not say I need to run.

Creative because, even at this age, I’m finding my way as a writer, an artist, and actor.

I had the most difficulty choosing the word Concerned. I actually spent several days before I settled on that word.

It’s not that I’m not concerned. I do want to be more involved, more aware of what is going on around me and in the world, more compassionate for those who struggle.

But it wasn’t the right word.

So, last week I changed it to…wait for it…

Change.

In the time I spent reviewing, which I continue to do, the word that kept cropping up was change.

Again, it’s not that I’m lacking concern.  Maybe I should just say I have four words for the year.

I have a list of things to change, for many reasons.

No, I’m not publishing the list. Keep reading as we move forward, and you’ll learn what some of those things are.

Hopefully.

I didn’t set out to choose another word. But I guess it’s all part of being flexible.

See what I did there?

Yesterday, along with millions of others, the wife and I sat out in our front yard (no, there were not millions of others in our front yard) and watched the eclipse with our special glasses.

Actually, our second set of special glasses. Last week I got a notice from Amazon that the first set I ordered and received were not safe. Kudos to them for acknowledging that and issuing a refund.

It was a nice afternoon watching the moon travel across the face of the sun and having some much-needed conversation.

Anybody know when the next end of the world event is scheduled?

 

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Not that Kind of Spring Break

I am freshly returned from Spring Break at the beach.

No, not your wet t-shirt kind of spring break.

True story, even the three college spring breaks that I made it to Florida were not that type of spring break.

For the last few years, my wife, our younger son, and my wife’s sister and brother-in-law have spent our spring break on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

We used to spend a week there each summer. But found that, if we choose spring break, we can get a house on the oceanfront for roughly the same price.

Since I’m the only one of our group that actually spends time on the beach, I made the compromise. I can put on a hoodie to watch the waves.

I won’t list all the reasons, but it was a much-needed week.

Like always, for me it’s not only a time of refreshing and renewal, but a time to plan.

That’s important this year because 2024 is bringing about some changes. Come back tomorrow when I’ll talk more about the word change.

I spent some time making lists of things I want to do, things I have to do, things that need to change. For one thing, my employment status will change later this summer. If you know, you know.

If you don’t know, I’ll write about it soon enough.

That change requires planning. And lists. And goals.

I spent the week doing that and setting up a system of tracking and attaining those goals.

I had a head start on that. About a month ago I created a Google Doc titled My Big Ass To Do List.

I use it to track things on a daily basis. Tasks, projects, reminders, all of that stuff.

At the beach, I expanded it to a list and a set of reminder cards that tracks everything I can think of. When I think of something new, I write a new card.

I’m reviewing that daily as a form of prayer and meditation.

Do you think I’ll reach every goal/task on that list?

I’m sorry, have we met?

No, there will be failure. There will be change.

This is just a chance/system/method to keep me focused.

I need weeks at the beach to renew that focus.

In spite of My Big Ass To Do List, it’s not really about that.

It’s about moving forward.

That’s how we change.

 

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