Eternal Reassurance, A Second Anniversary, A Peaceful Place, An Evolution of Life

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Yesterday was the second anniversary of my fall.  I missed it, I woke up thinking today was the day, but nope, it was two years and one day ago. Not much has changed since that day; sure, I fell 25 feet, broke my back, but my recovery was quick; I am a lucky man.

The day started like most others; I had appointments in the morning, my friend Jim invited me to join him and others for a beer; I made the hour drive from my home and had two beers.  Then I headed back home to meet my wife and her friends in town for a girl’s trip.  They had spent the day at the spa, and when I returned home, I waited. 

They arrived, we began drinking wine, about 7:00 p.m. Then, I started grilling, and it was then I found myself on the ground, missing an automobile-sized rock in the process; something bigger than myself was watching out for me that day. 

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald 

That was then, this is now, it’s Monday, and we will be here until Thursday.  Thursday, we will board a plane back to Colorado; I’ve got a few appointments between now and then.  I’m having lunch with my daughter in Albany, Indiana.  I think I’ll swing by my son’s and see my granddaughter as well.

Yesterday we hiked downtown Indianapolis; we watched the Colts lose, thank God I’m not a big fan; I’d be having a rough time these days.  We visited various shops in our hood; it is interesting to see how the landscape has changed since we left.  COVID and the economy have hit many of our local small businesses.  Many are gone; a few made it; it’s sad to see our hood in disarray.

We got home in the afternoon, watched some Netflix, chilled, and made it to bed early.  I got 9 hours of fantastic sleep; I woke up refreshed; this should be a great week!   My wife is heading to the office to meet our operations manager and her kid; reworking a division is on the agenda.  Operations, not in my wheelhouse these days, thank God.

Since June, we are starting to earn some revenue from our home in Indy; we have been Air B and B’ing it; my wife shared our balance; I’m not sure why we didn’t do this before.  At this point in our lives, we are working on multiple income streams, using our assets to generate wealth.  Between our company, our rental properties, and investments, we are doing ok for middle-aged people; life is peaceful these days.

Years ago, when I was married, we had an area of our property that was overgrown.  I took a Saturday and chopped back the growth finding a hidden tree.  I got a massive case of poison ivy; once I recovered, I organized a fire pit, put up some fencing, and deemed it a peaceful place.  We spent many nights sitting around the fire pit with friends; it seemed like a lifetime ago. 

Life has evolved over the last 20 years; I don’t know that I need to say that; I’m sure your world is much different than that of your 20-year-old ago self.  Twenty years ago, I lived surrounded by cornfields, and today I live on top of a mountain; it’s been an exciting journey, one that continues to leave me wondering what is next.

I find myself slowing down these days, the go and grow mentality I had for years has dissipated.  I now understand my father’s want of retirement at 55; I have no interest in retirement but can see after working 30 years the allure of the idea.  Work gives me value and purpose; without work, I’m not sure what I would do.  Most folks that retire die shortly after, so I’m not interested in that option.

We all have an expiration date, and we never know when that date will occur. So the idea is to live your best life, each second, minute, hour, make sure you are enjoying life.  It’s not easy; some days are more complex than others, but when you have a hard day, you push through, a good day is on the horizon; at 52, I have more good days than bad.

Well, it’s time for this guy to get in the shower and hit the road.  I’ll be in the car for about four hours today.  Not my ideal day, but I get to see both my kids, so windshield time is worth it.  I hope these words find you in a good spot; I hope you are smiling and you, too, have a positive journey ahead.  I’ll keep writing, sharing my little dibs and dabs, and I hope you are living your best life.