Grugger’s Way

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Throw it OUT!

With the end of the year…throw it!

Check the office: Newspaper sections saved for possible use in blogs, magazines saved for future blog articles, magazines not finished or not even opened. Throw it!

Check the basement: Old cardboard boxes and new cardboard boxes, left over Christmas wrap and crap. Throw it!

Check the pantry:  canned goods that have been in there all year?  Throw it out!   Partial bags of chips and pasta? Throw it!

Check the closet: Sweatpants  and old shirts not worn all year?  Throw it! 

Check the garage:  Old paint, oil, windshield wash, antifreeze, bags of assorted junk and USED SANDPAPER!  Throw it!  (well, most of it)

Check the shed:  Old gasoline, lengths of rotting rope, plastic pots for plants, little itty-bitty pieces of wood.  Throw it! 

Check the bath vanity and medicine cabinet:  You might imagine.  Throw it!

Check the bedroom: still good for another year. A keeper.

What Does Spiritual Mean to a Sixty-year-old?

There are many books, television programs, web sites, churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples, priests, rabbis, imams, ministers, evangelists, shamen and other “holy” men and women who will inform us about what “spiritual” means or should mean.

So I have to say that you can’t come here and find the meaning.  It is so personal.  And that is exactly my point: spiritual meaning is personal and unique for each of us.  And it seems to change as we age.  I like to think of myself as “evolving” and that most definitely means “spiritually” to me.

I have found more connection between the spiritual and the physical as I have aged.  I have also found more connection between nature and spirit.  I have found wonderful writers and other sources of information over the past few years as I sought to define myself in terms of the universe.  That’s a big place. The Universe ought to be capitalized, I guess.

Whether we all “find religion” on our deathbeds or not is something I can’t really debate.  I know of many elderly folks who did seem to become more religious as they neared the end of their journey.  Mostly, they found conventional religion within the structure of an established church.  A few found something a little different.  Some found contentment and a sense of wonder. Others seemed to live in fear and riddled with guilt.

As I age, I naturally see more of my relatives and acquaintances aging too, and many are nearing their last years; some have already passed away, or “passed over.”   In all of us I see the yearning to “know” and to be “confident” in what we face upon death.

Those who believe in nothing at all might be pitied or envied.  They seem to have no fear, just resignation that it will be over and done with. I believe they are often afraid to express doubt that they may be wrong.  It simply doesn’t matter because such doubt goes against what they claim to believe.

Those who believe in heaven and hell, in the traditional christian sense, seem to have the most fear (and guilt). They often express doubt that there is anything they can do anymore to change their fate.  But they also often try–by doing good works–contributing to causes–contributing to their churches–attending services–sometime daily, and praying–lots of praying: for forgiveness, for salvation, for life everlasting.

Those who believe only in a benevolent afterlife have only the doubt that they may be wrong.  They do not believe in hell.  God is Love and all is good.

Those who believe in reincarnation are almost eager to get “on with it.”  They have the most interesting outlook.  I think they also have just a little “doubt” that they may be wrong.

We who watch others struggle with their beliefs may also struggle the most with our personal beliefs.  Oftentimes, we desperately want to know “for sure.”  But…’tis not to be for us to know.  When we experience some spiritual moment…whether out in nature or in silent meditation…we wish even more to “know.”   In “knowing” we believe there would be peace and contentment.

The Universe does not intend for us to “know” peace and contentment.  We all have to wait.  Just don’t “hurry up” to wait.

Year End Often Brings Depression

I don’t think I am unique by any means in expressing some sadness at each year’s end.  Amongst older folks particularly, the end of another year brings mixed feelings. 

I know we mostly appreciate still being here to see the end of another year, and while this should be somewhat uplifting, it often isn’t.   The end of another year often serves to remind us that:

1.  We are getting older and older and time seems to be passing faster and faster.

2.  Our children are so involved in their own lives and problems that they often have little time for us other than to remember their “duty” to call us or at least send a Christmas card.

3.  It is the flu season and pneumonia season and the cold season, all of which affect us older folks with more frequency and severity than the younger generations.

4.  The cold temperatures demand that we give our aches and pains, bones and joints and muscles, more attention.  Keeping warm and medicated seems to take WAY too much time and effort.  I’m already looking forward to spring.

 5.  Finally, the end of the year means we have survived yet another holiday season, which is often the most depressing time of the year.

This past year, like most recent years, have brought more sadness than joy.  There were more deaths than births, more cancer than cures, more war than peace, more conflict than compromise, more confrontation than cooperation.   

Additionally, on a personal side, I always felt a great sense of accomplishment in my work and career.  In retirement, merely reaching the end of another year just doesn’t bring a lot of satisfaction.

Dog Days of December

When we hear the expression “Dog Days of August” we associate that with very hot, stifling afternoons when nothing and nobody bothers to move about.

Dogs sleep most of the day.  People sit in air conditioned homes or shopping malls.  I recall being in Phoenix, Arizona in August–just once–never went back.  The temperature as 116 degrees.

So the week between Christmas and New Year is kind of the “Dog Days of December.”  Nobody does much of anything. People are stuffed with food and sweets and are lethargic.  Dogs are inside and sleeping most of the day.  People sit in their warm homes or return to the heated shopping malls for after-Christmas sales.    It’s cold and nothing is going on until New Year’s Eve.

If you have snow, there is a driveway or a sidewalk to shovel.  Whoopie.   If you are a sports fan, there are bowl games…meaningless for the most part…but an excuse to sit in front of the television with chips and beer.  If you are a rancher you have animals to feed and water tanks to keep de-iced.  If you are a teacher you are still trying to recover from the week before Christmas with all the “holiday programs.”  If you are a student you know that your temporary freedom will last only another week.  What to do with all the free time?  Play video games, hang with friends, text messaging and downloading music.  Whoopie.

The Dog Days of December.