In an effort to get as close to Yosemite National Park as possible, we are staying at a wonderful 55+ RV resort for a two months. No, we didn’t use fake ID’s to get in (and no, we don’t qualify!). Since we’re just passing through there is no age restriction, only a maximum length of stay restriction to keep people like us from growing roots.
Among the many amenities available here is a library filled with books from members, and it’s interesting to review this unique collection. As much as I love my Kindle, there is something about the tactile experience of a library I still enjoy so I’ve stopped in a few times.
Some categories aren’t surprising – there are the usual travel, diet and gardening books. There are a number of books about RV’ing, where to retire and becoming a full-time RV’er. A poignant section, and one that gave me pause, was books on grief. A Pilgrimage through Grief, Remembering with Love, and Healing Grief remind me that this is a demographic all too familiar with grieving. They have a large “brain” section. Mental Fitness for Life, Total Recall, and Boost Your Brain Power. There were others, but I can’t remember what they were.
As I glanced at the (small) Finance section, then back to Self Help – it hit me. Whether they have a little or a lot financially, what they have is what they have at this point. What seems to be important, if books are the windows through which the soul looks out, these souls appear to have a focus on time. Time Shifting, Time and the Soul, For the Time Being. What to do with it, grabbing it, seizing it, holding on to it. The message is less about building wealth and more about creating more time, finding out where it went and how to get it back, living on purpose, making the most of every moment.
Wow, what a message.
I was reminded of The Station and felt like I was peeking into one of the train stops up ahead. At this stop, time is more important than money. And shouldn’t that really be true at all the stations?
It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. Rather, it is regret over yesterday or fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.
So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
So true and very well written. It reminds me of something I read this week: “In terms of our personal happiness, the problem isn’t the pursuit itself, but the way we tend to approach it. Without even knowing it, we convince ourselves that we’ll be satisfied when, and only when the pursuit is complete. In other words , we’ve already decided that we’re not going to be happy now-there’s no time for that. I’ve learned that the processs of life-including the work, the obstacles, even the hassles-are my life. Life isn’t the end result-it’s everything in between the beginning and the end. It includes the difficult conversations, a simple act of kindness, walking the dog, watching a sunset, helping your child with homework, washing dishes, driving to work. It’s day to day living.” Richard Carlson.
Thank you Kevin – that is a great piece as well!