Sunday morning and just back from Mass. Catherine and I were out at Thriftway after Mass to do our tailgate ministry. It was nice and sunny and warm enough to sit out and have our coffee and doughnut and talk to folks. We did have to pat ourselves on the back for surviving the winter one more time. We had a lot of business to cover since we were apart last week.
Oh, at church our Father David was away on retreat. A cousin of his filled in, also a priest. He was fun, a real personality. At the blessing with the holy water he drenched everyone after saying he believed in being generous. At the passing of the peace he got out and shook hands with everyone that had come. Nothing stodgy about this guy.
So, our day is off to a tremendous start. Now I need to mow like the wind with my time today. Everything is nice and dry out there, perfect for the mower. Well, that is my plan. First though we have to get to reinvention.
I was watching a Seattle Mariners baseball game yesterday and they had Gaylord Perry on who was a longtime pitcher with the team. He has been retired for years but he was with the team for many years back in like the 60’s through the 80’s maybe. I don’t know , I wasn’t interested in baseball back then. But the commentators said something interesting about him after he had taken off from the broadcast booth. They saying that anyone who pitches for that long has to have the ability to reinvent themselves numerous times. The body gives out not allowing him to pitch a certain pitch so he changes and develops a new way of doing things. Or maybe the game even changes over time and a new response is needed. Anyway the importance of adapting was brought up. If you don’t adapt you won’t be able to continue long term is the lesson.
This brings to mind the old Marine Corps motto of improvise, adabt, overcome. This is all as I grapple with issues in my own life, trying to make my life continue to “work”. Nothing for you to worry about but just sort of constantly readjusting on my part.
Yup, time for lunch and then riding the mower. Make it happen today. Love you, Felipe.
Two things, my dear Filipe:
If I was there I would love to help you mow! Always found that sort of therapeutic back on the ranch! Second, even without the medical thing, age seems to require that we improvise, adapt and overcome!
Why just this week I found myself having to do just that when I couldn’t read all those damn research papers and my eyes were watering and stinging. So, out with the contacts, on went the glasses and change seating position, change the lighting so that it practically is blinding. Then there is the times I am cooking and I can’t open the jars or read the recipes! So I am good at resourcing the tools and sources I do have! Banging on things usually works, but sometimes NOT! I prefer finding younger stronger hands to help me out! So, while our physical faculties continue to fail us and challenge us at least we have the advantage of wisdom and experience which leads to cleaverness and resourcefulness!
wCarol ~ yea, wish you were here mowing too. Enough of that reading. Yea, hope you get through that gracefully. Let’s go fishing. Felipe.x
wonderful words and thoughts as usual Felipe! It makes me think of an interview I heard many years ago by the knuckleball pitcher R. A. Dickey. the knuckleball is a tough pitch to throw, so there aren’t many pitchers who throw it. Anyway, he wrote a book and was talking about the journey of becoming a knuckleballer and said that he had to come to terms with his own mediocrity. I practically pulled the car over to the side of the road when I heard that! Wow! He had to come to terms with his own mediocrity. I have given that a whole lot of thought, and I do believe I have done my best to come to terms with my own mediocrity as well. After all, that is when he got great at throwing the knuckleball! Once we accept, so much more can be given to us. Love you Phil! <3
Annie ~ I am in the middle of watching a really bad movie. I’m wishing it was mediocre. Felipe.x
A little quotation relevant to this topic, and May on Vashon Island: “A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.” – Marcel Proust
Catalina ~ great quote! I think that I will work it into the blog today maybe. Felipé.x