“Sequester’s Moon“- At the West End Gallery
The things that I loved were very frail. Very fragile. I didn’t know that. I thought they were indestructible. They weren’t.
― Cormac McCarthy, The Sunset Limited
Tired and achy this morning, the result of a recent lower back injury/issue, whatever you want to call it, that kept me from sleeping much the last couple of nights. Though I think ( and hope) this will pass within a week or so, it brings to mind a thought that has been rolling around lately.
Life turns on a dime.
I have seen it recently with friends and loved ones whose lives change dramatically from the sudden onset of illness or world rattling events such as wildfires. One day your world seems to be cruising into the future as well as could be expected and the next it is turned upside down. The future that was right in front of you yesterday seems much further away today, with a lot more complications and hurdles between you and it.
It might not even be the same future.
It makes one realize the fragility of our existence in this world. We can plan and visualize our futures but sometimes as the old Roberts Burns line goes:
The best-laid schemes o’mice an’ men Gang aft agley.
Or as you may better know it, without the Scottish intonations: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
So we adapt. We attempt to heal or strengthen our defenses. We learn to do things in a new way. We try to fight back to that original future we foresaw.
It’s what we do. It’s all we can do.
And it’s worth the struggle because as dark and ugly as the world is on many days, it can be far more beautiful and bright on others.
So, if you’re feeling great and your future seems certain, enjoy it now because the world changes quickly. Don’t be surprised if your tomorrow is much different that your today.
For this Sunday Morning music, I am playing a song from singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith who died this past Friday at the age of 68. I don’t know what took her life, if it was an extended illness or if her life just turned on that dime. She was a wonderful songwriter best known for From a Distance, which was a giant hit for Bette Midler, as well as this song, Once in a Very Blue Moon, which was a hit for Dolly Parton. She was also an effective performer with her distinctive trilling voice. She did a marvelous cover of Townes Van Zandt‘s tragic Tecumseh Valley.
She will be missed. I thought Once in a Very Blue Moon was appropriate for today.
Please enjoy the day you have at hand.
Redtree Times 