“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” Samuel Johnson
1950 – it is a great year. Lorna, our second child, joins our family. In February all four of us—Sheldon and I, and Ralph and Lorna—are living in our new and cosy trailer. Life is good, secure, and the future is open before us. What is this that Johnson is chattering about? Is he saying that having no options is a good thing? How could that be? For us, the world is our oyster and the path ahead presents endless options.
Fast forward to 1952. Where did the last two years go? I am only thirty, and already things have changed. Things are not as simple as I used to think. We made some big decisions in the past months. Sheldon decided to accept a promotion. On the crew he was the Party Chief, and in charge. Now he is the low man on the totem pole in the exploration field office staff. Every day seems to bring new opportunities, challenges, and options. Confusing. Samuel Johnson, you are at least partially right. Is life always this way? There are so many important decisions to be made with so little guidance.
Another jump, a huge one of sixty years. It is now 2012 and it seems that I have been thrust into a completely new and different phase – OLD AGE. I am ninety, and Samuel, my friend, you are right. Suddenly my mind awakens to the fact that there are no live options here. There are only realities. I am not in a new phase but at a destination, the final one. Death will be the next move. Continue reading