I was just
outside in the front yard, and I noticed my glass-bottomed pond needed
cleaning. (Come to think of it, ‘til this very moment I hadn’t invented a good
moniker for it). “Long story short,” when Gini and Pam sold their late mother’s
home, next door, they bequeathed the ornamental, ground-level bird bath to my
safekeeping. It’s a beautiful old thing, as the bottom is comprised of
multi-colored stained glass.
At any rate,
I have to clean the darned thing on a weekly basis, since it tends to develop a
green, ugly slime which discolors the water; (and as a result the feral cats in
the neighborhood avoid drinking from it).
However,
after I turn on the hose, and spray the thing out with a high-pressure nozzle,
it comes almost as clean as the day it was made.
I think life
is a lot like that lovely old pool. When we sit around awhile it’s easy to
stagnate, and develop a figurative green slime in and about our figurative
beings.
For you see,
I think we as human beings, were destined for greatness; at least so far as
greatness might be individually defined and realized. And part and parcel of
that greatness includes swimming in all the clean, cool water that life has to
offer.
When I
stared into the shallow depths of my glass-bottomed pond today, and noted that
nasty green slime which covered the bottom, and permeated the water, I decided
to clean up a bit of the “slime” and stagnation in my own life. And I think one
way of doing so involves breaking out of my staid, stale way of doing things.
Waking up in
the wee hours of the morning, peddling that same old 10 mile trek, sleeping
another three hours, turning on the television for “a little news,” shoving a
pot pie in the microwave, driving to the post office, listening to a portion of
the New Testament on a decades old audio tape, weeding my flower garden,
watching the “Evening News with Lester Holt,” writing a daily blog on my internet
website, taking an evening nap, watching the late news, lying down for a couple
of hours sleep; before the cycle begins again. (And on weekends, sometimes
taking in a movie with my wife, and attending Sunday church services).
Yes, I
believe breaking out of my staid, stale old way of doing things may require
adding a little more flavor to my life, and perhaps that of my wife.
We’re
planning a trip to Scotland next year. I’ve always wanted to visit that portion
of the old country; for you see, both sides of my dad’s family originated
there.
But that’s
next year.
And so I
find myself mentally sorting through a myriad of priorities, and the possible
exclusion and inclusion of “things” which may serve to clean up what I consider
the stagnation in my current life.
More time
expended on spiritual things, such as scripture, prayer and what I refer to as “impact.”
Another form of ministry, whereas my current outreach seems to have, (there’s
that word again) stagnated. Aerobic exercise, (since I think my body has
somehow acclimated to my daily 10 mile bike trek, and I’ve regained some of the
50 lbs. I previously lost). A bit more time and effort given to manual, (rather
than internet) family research. A new restaurant, (and believe me, as an
introvert I avoid generally “new things” like the plague). Day trips to
inexpensive, but interesting places in Florida; (attractions within 100 miles,
but which in my 66 years I’ve never yet visited). A road trip to the northern
tier of states.
Cleaning up
the figurative green slime which permeates what has become a rather boring, far
too structured, staid, stale life.
Why, I may
even take up sky diving!
By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 13
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