Sunday, February 7, 2016

What if?

Where we are in life is based on either our own selfish choices 
or those where we put other's needs above our own.  
Choose wisely.

At my age, interesting thoughts happen when I can't sleep. I realized this while watching Blue Bloods. The Reagan family, a family of cops, shows us this:  "Every day a cop makes a difference in people's lives." That's an admirable thing to have, to do.  Teachers do, too, in a different way.  They don't always see the end result until many years later.  Like raising kids.  You never know until the years are gone, and they become something, someone, with choices and lives of their own.

Me, my job doesn't make much difference in that kind of sense.  What I do doesn't have a direct impact on people.  But that doesn't mean I can't, or don't.   Being a parent is a job in and of itself; I raised my own two kids mostly on my own.  And had a hand in raising up several step children as well.  I know what I did made a difference, I can see it first hand.  Mostly from afar, but that's the way it is when kids grow up and start their lives.  It's how it should be.

But I often wonder at the choices I made, play the "What IF" game in my head.

What if I'd gone to college?
Image result for what if?What if I'd waited to get married?
What if I'd waited to have kids?

That's never a winning battle.  I can look back on situations and think that a better choice could have
been made - but that would be in hindsight, knowing things that were unknowable at the time the decision(s) were made.  Don't start down the road wishing for things to be different.  You can't change history, but you can make positive changes starting today!

So rather than focus on those old what if's and what not's that scurry around my brain in the wee hours of the night, I prefer to spend my time doing things that are pleasing to me in these so called "Golden Years" -- I putter on my house, I make great photos when I'm out and about, I take long walks with my dog, and visit with my children and grandchildren whenever I can.  And of course, I write in my blog here ... perhaps some day these little blurbs and random thoughts will give insight or meaning to generations who may ponder these very same things.





Saturday, January 30, 2016

Walking

Sadie is my pug and constant companion .... sometimes TOO constant for my tastes!  But I love her just the same.  She's my walking pal.  Even when I don't feel like walking, she insists that we go.  We walk each morning around the block (1/2 mile) before I leave for work.  When I get home, it's "the long walk" - usually takes about 45 minutes, mostly because she tends to meander.  It's about a mile, which I could walk in under 20 minutes by myself!

Sadie is a social dog, most pugs are.  When we walk during busy afternoons at the park, it takes a long time - she likes to stop and greet every person, every dog, and is very patient with the kids who want to pet her as well.

Today's walk took us an hour, but it's good for her, and good for me as well.  I love watching people, and there are always plenty of those at Riparian Preserve in Gilbert.

It's a great place to walk, lots of different things to see!

We saw many hummingbirds, like this one; perhaps some of them are migrating back to their own locales.