05/27/2021

The things we liked to do.

I have been thinking a lot lately about Life, not just mine but life in general. It is something that every living being of all descriptions either has or doesn’t have. If it isn’t alive then in all probability it is dead and not a part of this conversation as that warrants a separate discussion.

Life is that magic mysterious thing generally created when two of the opposite sex mate and their reproductive systems create life. There are many forms of reproduction which is for a different discussion, just as there are many forms to life.

No, my thoughts have been turning toward the human variety of which I have the pleasure of being one for these past eighty five years. If I had a choice and had to pick a different form, it would probably be as a dog even though their lifespan is so short. Then I could find a master or mistress upon which I could shower all of the love, affection and attention they could possibly ever want. The saying is that a dog is a man’s and for the purposes of this discussion, woman’s best friend but it also goes in the reverse direction with the man or woman loving the dog in just the same way. In many cases, the pet is the only true friend that person has especially as we grow older and our own families have passed on or dispersed to other places in this very big world. I wonder if there is a comparison between human love and a dog or any pets love to one another. The only thing I am sure of is that it is a special bond between the human and the animal and in the animals case, no questions asked and no judgement passed.

But I digress. What I really wanted to discuss is life here today and as it happens, in the USA. I am nearing the end of mine and who knows how much longer I will get to enjoy this wonderful planet with all of it’s diversity most of which we take for granted. I have sat here in front of this big window in my RV writing and watched Nature take us through ice storms, freezing weather, snowstorms, thunderstorms, cloudy and rainy weather and fine and fair weather with the sun shining brightly in the sky. It has been a mixed bag these past six months and yet at the end of it all, Nature has come through and as if to say, “You can’t beat me”, with more growth and everything greener than ever. After the worst winter in I don’t know how long, she not only survives but flourishes. I wonder if within Nature itself, it is going through its own territorial wars with the harsh weather competing against the kinder and barmier weather of Spring and Summer. Or is the war between life and death with one side of Nature trying to annihilate the other. Of course, we shall never solve the mysteries of Nature or the reasoning of what goes on with it. We are after all, children of Nature.

I saw a cartoon strip the other day and it reflected a picture of a bunch of young kids, some who appeared to be six or seven with others much older. All were playing together outside in the woods covered in dirt and leaves and the caption read,” We played outside until it was dark”. Next to it was another picture of modern day kids all with computers and the caption read, “They don’t know what they are missing”. This is so very true and the modern day kid will grow up and never know the beauty of playing in and with nature. It will only get worse when these computer kids grow up and have children of their own who will never know that Nature even exists. No wonder that not enough people are concerned about global warming enough to stop it from happening. Too busy with their noses in their laptops. When I was a small kid, I, along with a couple of buddies would take off in the morning and be gone all day always in the woods and fields and just like the caption above, would not return until dark and sometimes after dark. Often, if my buddies weren’t around, I would disappear by myself for hours just exploring and playing with Nature as my friend. I learned a lot and was not afraid of being by myself for any reason. Except for the one time I almost stepped on a snake and ran for a half mile before stopping for breath. On the other hand, I was lucky enough to live out in the country and snakes are a part of it. Just need to see them sooner.

On school days, we walked to school picking up kids along the way and dropping them off on the way home. The school was at least three miles from my house and we didn’t think anything of it. It’s what you did. Eventually, a few would get a bike and use that as transportation as did most kids and adults alike as very few could afford to own a car. If you wanted to go any distance, you caught the bus. The area I lived in was known as Old Heathfield and several miles away was the bigger village of Heathfield. It had a High Street, a train station and several shops.

People themselves are also changing. The world on the whole is still a very good place and millions of us still care about our fellow man and the planet that supports us. There are others with very extremists views and are willing to enforce them. Man has always turned on his fellow man as long as life has existed. Some for power or wealth, others for land and country or to steal the others persons wife and family and all of his belongings all by the use of force. History shows that In a many cases, man has taken the freedom from another man and made them slaves to do their bidding.

The modern enforcer does it much more subtlety than before with rhetoric and words that encourage violence and then denies any knowledge of it. They get others to do their fighting and take all of the risks while they enjoy the popularity that these same people bestow on them. Such is the state of this country today.

Alas, although I have the luxury of reliving the days of my youth in my mind, those days will never return for future generations to enjoy. True, life was much simpler without all of the modern technology that exists but even with the hardships of simple living, I truly believe that the world as a whole was a much happier place even with World War 2 going on around us. Don’t get me wrong, I love computers and technology. I just wish they had never been invented and that life was still a simple process of living it with what you had or what you worked for. It has never been a level playing field and never will be. There will always be those who have the means and the capabilities to be wealthy and there will always be those on the other end of the scale with the vast majority somewhere in between making a living serving others and living their lives in return. I read somewhere that if all of the wealth of the world was redistributed between every living person, in the end, the ones who are currently wealthy will re-inherit the wealth as they know how to make the money grow. The rest of us will spend it on our toys and end up with nothing. Just once, I would like to give it a try. I would probably buy another more luxurious RV with a chauffer/handyman to do the work for me.

That is the problem with growing old. Too many memories of simpler times. Some of the memories are good, others, not so much but they were my life and I have lived them. I fear for this modern world and the direction for which it is taking. I fear for this country and the impending chaos as the various factions take up arms in revolt to settle the differences that they perceive as stolen. Above all, I fear for our Democracy and the way of life as we know it. Times are changing and not for the better…

Written 05/27/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…