A bookie’s life calendar.

When I was a kid, my life calendar was all about the next holiday and not having to go to school.

It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to go to school but that I didn’t want to have to get up so dang early. (They could have made school start at ten instead of eight and I’d’ve been a happy camper.) The getting up early, though, wouldn’t have been such a problem except that it interfered with staying up late the night before. So why does a kid need to stay up so late — it’s all about the books.

Yep, this girl’s a reader. My life calendar these days is measured in books instead of days and weeks.

And holidays? They’re just one more opportunity for a family squabble, so who needs ’em!

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t holed up somewhere reading a book. It drove my grandmother bonkers. She hated to see me inside reading when my brother and sisters and cousins were out playing. She used to make me watch afternoon soap operas with her to keep me from reading but I’d have an open book across my lap, sneaking peeks and distracting her when I needed to turn the page. (I’m pretty sure she knew I was doing it but, as long as I kept up with the soaps’ story lines, she let me get a way with it.) Granny loved her soaps. Wonder what she’d have thought about blogging.

Back to topic …

I read while waiting in the drive-up line and I read while waiting at red lights, too. (I get a lot of beeps from the cars behind me.)

I read while I should be watching what I’m cooking on the stove. (I’ve developed a real affinity for charred food.)

I read while I’m watching TV and, yes, I’ve even been known to read while I’m blogging.

It’s a sickness, this book thing, and there is no cure.

Yikes!

What is your passion? What keeps you going day after day, year in and year out? What’s the big thing on your life calendar?

What in the world are we thinking?

Posted by goodoldgirl

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to know everything that’s going to happened throughout the rest of your life? Would you want to know if you could?

What about knowing just the high points? Would that be enough to satisfy your curiosity? I’m not sure it would be for me. But, then again, I think I’d rather know nothing about the future than a few tidbits.

What if your palm had been read when you were young and the palm reader told you that you would die young, would you want to know that? Would you make plans for that? Buy more life insurance so your children would be more financially secure? What if the palm reader told you that you would live to a very ripe old age? What would you differently?

What would you change about your life if you knew what the future would bring your way? I suspect that most of us wouldn’t change anything. We’d just keep going down the same path we were on and let whatever happens rush right at us.

Is that just human nature? Or, is it fear? Do we not know how to make ourselves ready? Are we looking ahead or are we watching our feet as we stumble through each step? Planners look ahead and make changes in course as needed. Watchers look around them and see only their next step or, at most, the next hill in front of them, ignoring the mountain off in the distance.

The Earth seen from Apollo 17. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Can’t help but wonder if that’s the reason that, even though we know that we’re killing our own planet, we just keep going right down that same path — step by step. No change in course. No plans for stopping, much less reversing, the damage to planet earth. No thought of tomorrow and the planet our children and their children will inherit.

Why is that? Is it collective stupidity? Or, do we just not care?

Why aren’t we insuring our planet’s future? After all, it’s our children’s future as well.

Goodbye Fred

Posted by goodoldgirl

Our reliable old friend is gone.

Fred was always there when needed, day-in and day-out for 18 long years — he lived with me for eleven years and then with my daughter for seven. Sure, he had a few mishaps here and there but he just kept coming back strong, dependable, always on course, never-failing to amuse, eyes forward, always between the lines.