Biking

One of my neighbors uses a bike for work, recreation, and errands.  And he has biked forever.  He actually owns two bikes.  He keeps one as a backup.  I have seen him occasionally downtown in all kinds of weather; even during winter.  And lately I have been pondering?  Why not bike?

Since the time when my auto was totaled, about a year and half ago, I have been building up a "car fund" putting money into my credit union.  My thinking was that I could put down a large down payment.  But now I find that I have become comfortable in using public transportation.  Also, because of the economy, I have grown cautious about parting with my savings.  Along with setting aside money, I have saved a chunk of change not buying gasoline and all the other stuff that comes with maintaining a vehicle.  I have been walking more.  Given that bikes are transported by the buses, biking seems to be a reasonable and fun way to get around town more without using a taxi.  I said something to my doctor about biking in town as a way of transportation, and she was concerned due to all the traffic.  There is a designated bike trail, but I want to use a bike to get to work and back.  I have figured that I could avoid the congested traffic routes and use quieter streets to get to work.  I have already mapped out a route to and from work.  Biking with a backpack seems like more freedom in getting around.  Of course, there could be consequences: the potholes, the weather, cracked sidewalks, cranial injuries, avoiding pedestrians, somersaulting over a curb, who knows?

On the postive side, I like the choice of going off the main route, parking my bike and shopping at a drug store, going to the farmer's market, or getting to a grocery.  I could of course wear a bike helmet.  It would be easier to visit friends.  The main reason would be, not having to rely on the bus schedule, especially on Sundays.  In addition, there is the beautiful benefit of exercise.

I sometimes think it was meant for that 85-year-old lady who was "dizzy" out driving her Silverado crashing into my car.  I have learned to adapt.  I have learned that you can do without and still be happy.  I have learned that I overused my vehicle.  I have learned how much more interesting it is to see my everyday world up-close in a different way.  I have learned to meet people that I would have never met before.  I have also become more compasionate to those who do without a lot more that I do.

But Wait

When you are looking for an invitation in the mail, hoping for a return to acceptance and peace, do not be surprised if your name has been vanished and invite forgotten.

But wait, don't look for the invitation, the peace is within you, no invitation is needed for the Kingdom of God.

When baptized into the life of Christ and knowing forgiveness is there to cherish, do not be surprised that others do not do the same.

But wait, God has forgiven you, and Christ says, "Forgive them, they know not what they do".

When the place where your feet walked was a secret lie and not a sacred life, do not expect others to understand.

So you had to brush the sand from your feet and move on.

And they never saw you were a part of The Body of Christ, it is their own hands, fingers, eyes, and heart that have suffered.

When at last you finally cross the bridge, use the courage you always had, you say good-bye.

Good-bye.  Good-bye, over and out.

I get it

Yes, I get it.  Just observe.

Lately...

Lately, well since my auto was totaled in July, I have been spending much of my time walking more than usual.  I never realized how much I had become dependent on using an automobile.  And since there isn't a grocery store in my neighborhood, I am carrying more things with me.  A lot more of my time is spent walking to a bus stop and waiting for a bus.  And it's just not walking to a bus stop, it is getting to the bus stop before the bus arrives.  This means I am walking more rapidly.  It's been great exercise, but it has been eating up my time and energy.  And I am finding that my muscles and joints are aching more.  It's old age.  There I said it.  Old age.  I am beginning to feel a kinship with gizmos that have inadvertently been left on for hours and with garments whose colors have faded from repeated washings.

Old age, is it so bad altogether?  To hear about an utterly good quality vehicle getting traded in for a new and flashier model feels somehow intimidating on a personal level.

That's what the 50s have felt like to me.  Faded, washed out, a little bid drained.  But they're also felt lighten and comfortable.  Starting to relax and loosen in the places that have long been tense.

Riiiiiight.

A friend emailed a list she'd found called "Basic Truths" that I saved and have been adding to.  Since part of this aging business has to do with acquiring and sharing wisdom, it seems appropriate to share a few morsels of knowledge.

This is the list.

• The cheapest and most-expensive models are both usually bad deals.
• Getting to the point quickly is always appreciated.
• Part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
• There is a great need for a sarcasm font.
• Bad decisions make good stories.
• You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of your day.
• If every cast member in a TV show is good-looking, it's not worth watching.
• Everyone you meet is better than you at something.
• One cruel remark can wound someone for life.
• Most of what children learn from adults isn't taught on purpose.
• Few things feel worse than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
• Obituaries would be more interesting if they told you how the person died.
• By using a bad picture of yourself on a column, you can generally guarantee you'll be complimented by those who meet you in person.
• Another way to generate compliments is if you're going to lie about you age, give an age that's quite a bit older than you actually are.
• Wishing things were different is a great way to torture yourself.  Especially if you wish for things you can only buy on installment plans.
• Aging happens fastest to those who lose their lust for improving, who give up on their dreams, an who cease being curious.
• Remember -- you're only young once.  But you can always be immature.

Tim's Practical Joke

Besides being a great fixer-upper, Tim is great at pulling practical jokes.  He is in charge of maintenance at a local hospital.  He has been there for about 16 years. Anyhow, one of the doctors at the hospital wanted him to do something for him at his office.  Of course, Tim jumped at his offer to make some extra money.  Tim discovered that he had some special keepsakes.  It seems that the doctor who is from India, happened to be a gigantic fan of Geoge W. Bush.  Timmy couldn't believe the stuff.  Anyhow, he decided one memento had to be placed next to a particular window.  It took a couple of months, but Tim's patience paid off.

Apparently, personnel from the patio where employees smoked started complaining that someone had been watching them especially in the evenings.  They were becomming uneasy.  It was becoming so unnerving they finally called Security at the hospital.  Naturally, Security gathered everyone on duty to hunt up the keys to the doctor's office.  At last, after getting hold of the keys to unlock the doctor's office, they began searching for the suspect.  They couldn't find anyone.  But when they got to the window that overlooked the smokers' patio court, Security had found the man who was peeping at them.  It was a life-size cutout of George W. Bush.

"Gee Tim, ugh!  A life-size cutout of Bush?  That would make me nervous even if I knew it was him.  So what did they do with the cutout?"  I asked.  "Oh, the doctor wanted to save it.  Consequently, I put it somewhere nobody could find it.  I'm saving it for a new prank.  I came into work the next day and everyone was telling me, you wouldn't believe what happened here last night.  Oh, really.  My lips were sealed."

Watch out!  You never know where George W. Bush will show up.

Life is a journey; My Scavenger Hunt

There is harshness in any choice one makes in life.  It can be a life of not enough choices or too many.  Not enough--a dull life; too many--spreading yourself too thin and never giving your full attention.

There are women who choose to work.  Others, who choose to stay at home and raise children.  There are women who choose a life filled with advanced education, and others that develop various skills.  Others choose to volunteer.  Many want to do it all.
But whatever choice one makes; no choice is perfect.  No life is perfect.  There will always be the pros and cons to each lifestyle.  When I talk to my married friends they want to be single.  When I talk to my single friends they want to be married.  Even the life of religious sisters in community is not perfect.  It all depends on your priorities.

A true vocation can be any of these choices.  But who says what a true vocations is?  God can help us decide and make decisions.  A decision that makes one feel at peace is usually a good indication that a right choice was made.

The catch is that sometimes others want something else for us.  They think you are crazy and that you should be doing something besides what you have decided.  Sometimes our lives just do not make sense to those around us.

No matter what lifestyle you live, some people just drift along, going with the flow, and then their life becomes a life by default.

All I can say is that my life has been like a scavenger hunt, a life of seeking God's Will.  I've have sought different avenues depending on the clues to my search, my circumstances and experiences.  Though I am still who I am, I  have also changed and adapted.  Like a traveler seeking new adventures, I try to live as a native whether it is on another continent or the foreign land of the North side of a town.  But most importantly, my life has been a life enriched.

I have been a risk taker.  And sometimes I have failed and become wounded.  But I've always picked myself up and moved on.  All I know is that I get up every morning and do my very best with what I can.  I try to do better.

Happy Birthday Prayer Answered

It was Saturday, July 17th and I went to the mall. I just walked around looking to see what all was going on. There was a teenage boy singing some pop songs. No, it wasn’t Justin Bieber. But it might as well have been with all the screaming teenage girls. I mainly went window shopping. But at one point I decided to sit down. While I was sitting I just watched the other people. Then I saw two women walking around me. I remember them, because one lady had a very large and gaudy necklace. You couldn’t miss it. I went to get up and the other lady who was with her walked up to me and asked if she could pray for me. When she asked, my emotions suddenly were overrun with tears. I said, “Today is my birthday. And I am supposed to find out if I have cancer on my right breast on Monday. Yes, please, I need all the prayers I can get.” Everyone in the mall was walking around us as they both prayed for me. “Oh, yea. My car was just totaled by another driver too. And I am unable to buy a car at this time. The other insurance company gave me little for my auto and of course, it was worth much more to me being a car that was paid off with low mileage.” We talked and from nowhere one of the women gave me a balloon and the other gave me $20. I thanked them. But I felt funny taking money from her. I said, “Please, no. You don’t have to do this.” But she said no, take it and buy something for yourself and do not use it for something else. After we parted, I continued walking through the mall and felt there was nothing I wanted. I did not feel anxious about buying. I was at peace. I just wanted to go home and wait for the news from the surgeon on Monday.

 

When Monday, July 19th came, I received the best gift.  No cancer.  I am still walking and riding the bus for now.  But no cancer.