Later Reflections

Wow...can't believe it's been this long since I've posted here....as a matter of fact, I had even forgotten about this blog site until just today when a person from my past requested something from me that made total sense and was happy to do it......so as long as I was here, I thought I would ramble for a bit.....

Since turning a half-century last year, I have been reflecting (as I'm sure many do during this time of life) often on my past, my present, and my future.    I have learned many things over the years as I have gotten older....how to spot deceit and manipulation much quicker than I use to...how to appreciate a sunset and being still...how to focus my time and efforts on the really important things in my life and keep my priorities in some reasonable order...all while still have fun!   Life can be a real trip!

I have many friends on Facebook that by their posts, still have a lot of growing to do in that regard....the cycle of hurts and disappointments are very evident...but, they would give you the shirt off their backs if they thought you needed it.....I only have 60 friends on my Facebook list while others have hundred, even thousands.....someone asked me once why?   I told them that I have finally come to a point in my life where I know what a true friend is and what one is not. I have had my share of phony friends over the years that I feel I have a pretty good handle on who the genuine ones are.   The 60 I have on my list I would give my life for in a heartbeat....they are the ones that after the pain and heartaches of life......the disappointments and frustrations...come and go....after the smoke clears....they are still standing by you.....I appreciate them more than they will ever know.  

One thing I have learned....life is made up of a series of choices, not just chances.   Life is a great puzzle made up of thousands of pieces, each one an experience or a relationship encountered even in the smallest way.   Some of these puzzle pieces are huge, others are very small...some good and some bad....but all make up who we are.    Some pieces I want to take and frame them and hang them on a wall to look at everyday...but I can't because they belong to the whole....some pieces I just want to rip out of the puzzle, tear their corners off and stomp them into the ground....but I can't do that either....all make up who I am....I have learned to appreciate all the many, diverse pieces from my life...they are my teachers, my encourages, my bridles that pull me back onto the right road......even those "phony" pieces are all so very important that have shaped me....I love them all!

I've moved to a small town up in the Blue Ridge Mountains....a job...a good job...a slower pace...a chance to relax and also have some fun.  It's beautiful here....I still miss my home state of Texas, but this isn't a bad second choice.    You can really find yourself here.