Reflections on the New Year

Another one is here. So much changes in a year, have you ever noticed this? Every New Year I reflect on the changes that have taken place... sometimes the good outweighs the bad, other times it's reversed. Families grow, sometimes by a simple birth, sometimes by the joining of one person to another that brings along children and grows the family quickly. Families also decrease, whether through divorce, tragedy or estrangement. Sometimes the changes that occur come from completely unexpected directions, turning long dull aches to joy. Taking the time to reflect each year helps me see the path I've followed and compare it to the multiple paths ahead. Based on where the road has lead thus far, which of these ahead would be the best? Is there a best? Or are there just choices to make? Do I simply let the future happen, or do I attempted to shape it? Or maybe just give it a hand.

2007 was full of change and challenge, as was the year before, and the year before that. I know 2008 will not be different in that respect. Keeping your eye on the constant prize be it love, security, relationship, friendship, monetary gain or otherwise, may not be the thing to do. Maybe you just let it happen. Relax and jump in the water instead of staying on the road, and let the current take you where it will. You may be pleasantly surprised what you see next year when you look back on 2008.

So, your choice.... road or river.

Happy New Year.

Perspective

So it was one of those days. The best part was walking my puppy tonight. This is one of the rare moments I'm forced to be patient. We have a 15 foot retractable leash (pink,,, hush, I didn't pick it out), and she's only an eight pound bundle of energetic fur. Seriously, I think she's a cat trying to pass, but that's another issue entirely.

Point is, the best way to handle this little chore (the dog as well as the walking of said dog), is to stand still and let her wander, ponder or run around me. I usually do this while listening to a podcast or some random music on my iPod. Tonight, however, I turned it off and just listened to the rest of the world. The first thing I heard was my own breathing, and it slowed while I stood. This brought the rushing of blood in my ears down to a trickling stream and expanded the realm of sound, allowing me to hear the wind through the trees behind our place. Some of these old pines protested softly as they gave in and swayed, leaning closer to my neighbor's yard to eavesdrop on a very soft conversation between two of the neighbor's kids over the fence, only recognizable as voices in casual dialogue. I recall a time when these voices were very soprano and imature; a startling contrast to the deepening tones now weaving into the growing symphony. The constant whisper in the background slowly solidified into traffic on the highway a mile away, adding a wash of rhythm reminiscent of waves on a shoreline. High above spreading a canopy of distant roar in it's wake, a passenger jet is carrying it's load of human baggage, spreading they're diversity to destinations unknown. I began to think if I stood there long enough, I'd hear the solar winds racing by this planet, and I actually looked forward to it....... but then the puppycat was bouncing around my feet, whining something about how cold she was. We came back in.

Amazingly, the 23 things I dragged home from work were no longer in my house, and the person I love most in life was waiting for me. Trading 23 problems for 1 joy is a good deal, I think. Of course, now she's in bed, the TV has some inane movie playing that I've seen a dozen times (I can't turn it off,,,, it's an evil device that demands constant power), and I'm blogging while AC/DC plays Hell's Bells in my ears. I wonder what I was so stressed about earlier?

Life really is good. Thanks puppycat....... I guess you can stay.