Perhaps one or two of you may have noticed I’ve been away for a few weeks. In fact, I think this is the longest my blog has gone without being updated for its 10+ years.  Maybe it’s the new year getting off to a sluggish start, or maybe just plain old writer’s block, but I’ve been escaping lately–escaping thinking about where I am in life and what lies ahead. 

When you reach your 70s your mind takes a turn, for about a full 180 degrees.  Now, much time is spent on thinking about the past and when your thoughts turn to the future, especially if you have survived a pretty challenging physical disaster, well, you don’t think about that next promotion or new car or where to spend next summer’s vacation.  Nope, most of your thoughts dwell on taking care of your physical needs and simply maintaining a decent day-to-day routine of keeping busy and keeping positive.  It goes without saying, for obvious reason, that death is an ongoing wonderment…wondering about when and things that should be getting done now to ease the burden on those who have to carry on afterwards.  It’s a challenge.

I am very fortunate in having a wife who is still able to drive me around, get me in and out of those motorized shopping carts at the store and eat most of what I cook for dinner.  She usually does the dishes to boot.  I also have a few friends who consume lots of phone conversations that help pass the time and give you a sense of having people you care about and they you.

But that’s about it.  There is no job, no office, no meetings to attend and projects to work on.  It’s these things that give you purpose in life, even if some of them are more chore than labor of love. There are more things I would like to do, but my physical limitations do exactly that—limit.  While I have declared my book writing to have run its course, I do wish some great inspirational idea would come along and I’d probably pursue it.

In the meantime, I stay the course.  The Internet, for sure, is a great source for keeping one busy, involved…and keepin’ on.

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