By Neal Lemery
When I was younger, I thought that life got easier as you got older. “Easier” however, is a relative term. Getting older is hopefully a process that allows one the opportunity to become wiser, more informed, stronger in the sense of being able to master a lot of what life is about.
I keep realizing that life is always going to offer challenges. What you think you have mastered is succeeded by other tasks, challenges, situations that require yet more fact gathering, analysis, and coping skills. There are the physical challenges of an ageing, ever-changing body, and then there are the mental and intellectual challenges of living in a dynamic world.
Life keeps reminding me to “work my hard.”
These days, the ever-changing technology and information flooding I am experiencing, seems to take on a Herculean task of coping with an increasingly overwhelming volume of data, processing, and time-consuming skillsets. Lately, I’ve been intrigued with video podcasting, and have taken on some of the challenges of adding that dynamic to my still-developing social media repertoire.
Not that I feel that I’m accomplished in that world, but I make my way and I am on a decent path of using that technology to get out my ideas, to market my wares, and otherwise express myself. Hopefully, in all that, I am a contributor to society, an influencer.
What I’m seeking now in life is a “relocation to a space of truth, beauty, and light.” (quoting from Michael J. Tallon, thanks to my friend Elisa Saphier.)
I’m realizing that the essence of a well-lived life is to focus on simple, yet often profound concepts and ideals. In doing the work to get to that point in my life, I’m trying to reduce the noise, the turmoil that much of today’s communications inundates me with, and literally sift out the chaff and the dust, getting back to the basics.
As a retired lawyer, I’m still attracted to stories in American law. This morning’s news stream found me drawn to a brand new federal court of appeals decision. The subject of the opinion is at the heart of today’s news cycle, and I found myself caught up into the court’s excellent legal writing and analysis, a revisitation of basic Constitutional law.
We are often well-served by occasionally looking at the basics of some of our established beliefs and values. What are we about, we Americans, and why are we a nation that values democracy and the rule of law? It is a question well worth revisiting.
Once again, I was struck by the wisdom and craftmanship, the statesmanship, of the Founding Fathers. Their work in developing and adapting the words and structure of our federal Constitution is truly one of the genius works of the 18th century, a rich product of the American experience in self-government and democratic idealism.
That decision is yet another example of getting back to the basics, looking for further exposure to the essentials in life, in government, in how we should think about our public lives, our role as citizens.
Stacy Chapman’s beautiful reprisal of her classic song, Fast Car, with Luke Combs at the Grammy’s this week, is yet another example of beauty and poetry, and a sharing of a slice of life that is simply profound and deeply moving. That song, and its performance by two talented artists and their acoustic guitars, touched my heart, an example of timeless artistry and music. It is a message of simplicity, and profound emotion and love.
Here’s the video:
Again, simple, beautiful, profound. And, a worthy revisitation of the works of art from an earlier age. The messages of that song reverberate within me.
I’m challenged by such thoughts, ideals, works of art and statesmanship. And, I ask myself, are we doing such good works, such long-lasting, socially profound creations today? Are we up to that challenge?
Books: NEW book – BE THE CHANGE – One Random Act of Kindness at a Time; Neal’s other books include: Building Community: Rural Voices for Hope and Change; Finding My Muse on Main Street, Homegrown Tomatoes, and Mentoring Boys to Men
