You did it again, found another new window for us to peer through from the passenger seats on this ride. What a provocative analysis on age and the Peace Corps. I continue to be intrigued...and tempted. And this time you are speaking right at my "Inside Out" comittee arguing about the next journey and sending the dottering old persona back through the door.
You know many of the stories of my itinerant life and sundry resurrections to new paths, disciplines, careers, and geographies. I have shown no evidence of settling well and inevitably I begin to ask "What's next?" moments before I've crested the current mountain in front of me. I love the path less traveled by, the person at the edge of the room, the next corner of the next place, a new smile on a new face, infinite patterns in ants, why one chickadee sounds different, and no small amount of pushing against can't....my addiction to reaching more than finishing.
One truth in age is we have come to know ourselves through those paths, those places, and those faces; limned our own edges over years; stretched and pulled at the shortcomings; and (hopefully) come to accept and like the core. I find resonance in the message of Lone Watie's sage tale to Josey Wales, "Endeavor to persevere." Now I'm wondering what's next again and the answer is as elusive as it ever was...maybe it's buried in Bear Claw's deeply layered metaphorical answer, "Grizz" (or maybe he just liked to hunt...or maybe it's 3am and I'm rambling about old movies).
I have moments of feeling the age, the fatigue, the aches...but you are providing a vivid Bera-esque example of "It ain't over til it's over." I haven't decided if your example is inspiring me to do it too, or daunting me to think maybe I can't...some of both, certainly. But I'm considering it, poring over those PC Response ads, wondering, pondering. I'm 58 Monday...I think I'll do something soon.
Meanwhile, I'll look forward to the next window on South Africa.
Apologies if I offended any Grateful Dead fans out there with the naming miscue. And thanks to Dave S. for bringing it to my attention. Now you can imagine how I grapple with hearing foreign tongues when my own language seems to trip me up so (can't count how many times I've heard that song).
So nicely stated. I agree wholeheartedly that at this stage it's all about the that that core intact.
It's worth noting that those shorter-term P.C. response positions are a bit different than the traditional 2-year postings (the focus of my recent post) though, certainly, there is a fair degree of overlap. For some, perhaps like yourself, the shorter position might be a good way to test the waters of post career life, without completely cutting the ties.
Happy 58th! Lemme know what that committee within comes up with...
Drew!
You did it again, found another new window for us to peer through from the passenger seats on this ride. What a provocative analysis on age and the Peace Corps. I continue to be intrigued...and tempted. And this time you are speaking right at my "Inside Out" comittee arguing about the next journey and sending the dottering old persona back through the door.
You know many of the stories of my itinerant life and sundry resurrections to new paths, disciplines, careers, and geographies. I have shown no evidence of settling well and inevitably I begin to ask "What's next?" moments before I've crested the current mountain in front of me. I love the path less traveled by, the person at the edge of the room, the next corner of the next place, a new smile on a new face, infinite patterns in ants, why one chickadee sounds different, and no small amount of pushing against can't....my addiction to reaching more than finishing.
One truth in age is we have come to know ourselves through those paths, those places, and those faces; limned our own edges over years; stretched and pulled at the shortcomings; and (hopefully) come to accept and like the core. I find resonance in the message of Lone Watie's sage tale to Josey Wales, "Endeavor to persevere." Now I'm wondering what's next again and the answer is as elusive as it ever was...maybe it's buried in Bear Claw's deeply layered metaphorical answer, "Grizz" (or maybe he just liked to hunt...or maybe it's 3am and I'm rambling about old movies).
I have moments of feeling the age, the fatigue, the aches...but you are providing a vivid Bera-esque example of "It ain't over til it's over." I haven't decided if your example is inspiring me to do it too, or daunting me to think maybe I can't...some of both, certainly. But I'm considering it, poring over those PC Response ads, wondering, pondering. I'm 58 Monday...I think I'll do something soon.
Meanwhile, I'll look forward to the next window on South Africa.
scott b
Lovely and thoughtful as is your norm. So will you extend???
Hey now, not so fast - right now we're just grateful to be funded through September. After that we'll see what life deals...
dj
Hi All,
Apologies if I offended any Grateful Dead fans out there with the naming miscue. And thanks to Dave S. for bringing it to my attention. Now you can imagine how I grapple with hearing foreign tongues when my own language seems to trip me up so (can't count how many times I've heard that song).
dj
Scott,
So nicely stated. I agree wholeheartedly that at this stage it's all about the that that core intact.
It's worth noting that those shorter-term P.C. response positions are a bit different than the traditional 2-year postings (the focus of my recent post) though, certainly, there is a fair degree of overlap. For some, perhaps like yourself, the shorter position might be a good way to test the waters of post career life, without completely cutting the ties.
Happy 58th! Lemme know what that committee within comes up with...
dj
Ha! I already decided it would be PC Response versus the full monte for me. But who knows...Committee in session.