I have had the privilege, this week, to meet with two very wise gentlemen, both my uncles and both in their nineties. One uncle was from Dad's side and the other from Mom's side. They come from a time after a great war, great depression, a second great war, Korean/Vietnam wars.
The two of them are so alike, but yet so different. Just think of all their combined knowledge, wisdom and practical advice they have to offer.
And yet many of the younger generations fail to tap into their brain, including myself. What took me so long to find them? To ask them about their early childhood, what was it like during the depression, the cost of food, the endless walking on foot? There is an excitedness in their voice when they start to dwell on childhood. They lived in a time without electricity. They had to entertain themselves with nature, homemade tools and just a box to play in. It seems that we are always in a hurry, racing off to work, bustle to the store and step on the gas. We dash off so we can wait in line. We wait in lane and grumble. We wait and complain how precious our time is. We wait so we don't miss that show on TV. We just wait to hurry some more.
In their eyes, I am just a young whippersnapper. Why Uncle Butch and I, are to wrestle someday and if we were to actually fight, he would win. You can see the great pride in his work. Uncle Emerson, he one time tricked me into eating a hot pickle. I still remember that moment and to this day I love hot food. You can see he takes great pride in his environment. Their combined lives, represent a time now lost. A time in which I would love to live. I truly enjoy their company.
As any of you have experience, one day you feel great and the next you feel lousy. Thus the time when you feel good you want to drag by. We appriecate that time. However the time when we feel lousy, well we need to enjoy that time as well. I think about my uncle's lives and I know they still enjoy life to it's full.
We need to change the focus of our eye and then the event changes. Do we see our long body or just the short? Is life a non-eventful place or an event that one looks forward with each awakening? Are we a shadow or the sun? Do we darken or provide coolness? Do we burn or provide warmth?
Until the next time HeWal