Unfolding

The day unfolds from dawn to dusk to bedtime. Meals are created and eaten. Activities happen and pull me through the day. A time to rest, perhaps. A time to watch TV just for the fun of it. And then other things occur during the day and evening to occupy time and attention. It just does. This day, and yesterday. Tomorrow promises the same.

Then the week unfolds, and month, seasons and year. Year after year. Each unfolds as individual but similar routines happen and reproduce themselves. Sameness. Predictability. Manner of thinking and seeing. And reasoning to temporary conclusions?

Weather unfolds, too. Sunny and bright, or dark and gloomy. Rainy, snowy, windy, whatever will be. We survive the changes of temperatures and precipitation. We manage the travel and treks through mounds of weather. We just do. It is context to living. We do not control it, just how we live with it.

Careers unfold as well. We start with schooling, then more specialized schooling, a starter job that leads to a bigger set of tasks with leadership required. Management position maybe but increasing focus and purpose within an organization. Perhaps the industry matters; perhaps not. Duty and work entwine to become something much larger, that unfolds over time and weaves us into it. Choice often does not enter the picture. We do what we are told to do, asked to do, and it becomes a routine or calling that we design very little.

Over a lifetime I have come to enjoy the unfolding of seasons. Oh, I dread some unfolding, like summer into fall and fall into winter. Summer into fall is not so bad; cooler weather, very blue skies, leaves turning to wondrous colors, and very pleasant temps including those requiring light jackets. Yes, fall is becoming a good time of year for me, but long ago it was the harbinger of winter, and I came to distrust fall’s luster and allure. It hid the coming cold, ice and snow. The discomfort of winter.

Now winter is just plain miserable. Well, as I age, maybe not too miserable. Not having to commute in the awful weather makes it more palatable. Yes, now I can watch it unfold through the window without donning heavy outdoor clothing. Without facing the ice in the eyes and on the face. Without gloves, even. I can drive my car from the heated garage to several locations without even getting out of the car. I can use drive up windows, and park in indoor garages at doctor offices and such. Even light jackets will do as I learn to dress for indoor offices and hallways.

Retirement does provide some benefits!

Ideas unfold too. So many ideas, many with experience added to complicate them more. Those ideas are more informed than earlier ones. They take on more meaning and weight. I am better able to think them to logical conclusions. Some of those are frightful. That fright causes me to unfold more reasoning and actions.

Agreement with others unfolds, too. And maybe we connect our actions? Maybe we unfold yet more thinking and actions that matter to others?

We can only hope the unfolding continues to better ends. Agreement is needed to work together for those better ends. Will we? Agree? And collaborate?

Whatever will unfold then?

March 28, 2025

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intimacy

As we mature, we become deeply involved in relationships. Some of this is basic family relations – siblings, parental – and the like. Next is friends who enter our homes and we theirs. Neighbors, classmates, mutual hobbyists and so forth. Then we develop friendships that go much deeper. We comfort one another when we are hurting physically or emotionally. We discuss the matters of life and learn much more about ourselves and each other. We can even anticipate how others will react to various situations and stimuli. Good friendships do not spread to everyone we know. No, good friendships are special, close and deeply personal. We focus attention and brainpower on these few friends. Some special relationships focus on specific topics of interest and importance. Yes, we have specialized friendships. Most common. But one day, we get to know one person very well. An emotional connection forms with deep roots. A need to know the person more fully expands in personal ways. We sense this b...
Read more

Bits & Pieces

Pie: Apple pie more specifically. With Thanksgiving just passed, many of us enjoyed a good apple pie. Sure, there was pumpkin to accompany the turkey, but in our family multiple pies are offered in the holidays. Apple is surely one. Pecan, pumpkin and others, too. But I almost always choose apple. When I was in college, I was asked what kind of pie did I eat most often. In front of my mom, I answered apple, because I was always looking for a pie as good as mom’s own. Of course my mother was pleased, but it was a true statement just the same. When I was married, Ann’s pie was darned good. Her mother’s recipe. But we fiddled with the recipe until it took on its own generational name, and boy, was it good! Today I still order apple pie for dessert because I am always looking for a great pie to challenge our family recipes. I rarely do find such a prize. Do others do the same? Do you search for a great pie of choice, continually? If you do, what’s your story? Why do you do this? ...
Read more

Remembering Tom Sherlock

Tom Sherlock died on Wednesday, April 3rd. He was 65 years old and did not survive a heart surgery. That was his unexpected end and sad enough. But there is more to his story. Tom joined Dan Schuyler and George Safford to create what became the Village Chronicles, a weekly newspaper serving Warrenville, Illinois. That paper expanded to serve Winfield and then West Chicago. The paper published for eight years and built a good reputation for itself. Tom served the paper in several ways. He was our information technology guru, provided hardware and software to support the paper's operations. He was our sole bookkeeper, accountant and financial manager. He designed our distribution process and provided office space for meetings and layout and typesetting. His efforts supported the work of 32 volunteers who wrote and reported on the communities we served.  The newspaper broke even financially most of the time, but it was a struggle. Tom managed to find money to keep the newspaper afloat...
Read more