Most of us probably
didn't realize it... July 2nd at 12:00 PM, noon. At that
point in time and space, as in outer space I assume, we had
completed the first half of the journey through 2014 and were about
to embark on the second half. It was, according to the
experts and those who follow some of the more mundane things in
life, the exact middle of the year. Exact? I knew something was up
because as I prepared my lunch that day, I could just sense
something was different, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Now I
know! It was the middle of the year... a special day!
Many of the things that
happen to us in life have a beginning, a middle and an end and often,
when we are at the middle, or halfway mark, it can be a comforting to know, or maybe not.
Take, for example, a
trip to the dentist. At some point, after what seems like hours with
the dentist having his or her hands inside your mouth, he or she is
likely to say...”I'm about halfway done, just a few more minutes.”
Or perhaps you are in
the middle of a well deserved vacation. The anticipation and
expectations in the beginning were exciting, but you reach the mid
point of your trip knowing that before long it will come to an end
and your happiness and excitement is quickly replaced by thoughts of
returning home, going back to work or even worse, realizing that it will
be another year before you can get away from your crazy boss again.
I like music but I am
not a big fan of the opera. I have all the respect in the world for
those who are able to sing and perform at that level, but it would
not be my first choice for entertainment, although if invited, I
would probably attend. Nothing wrong with a bit of culture I guess.While I have only been to the opera on one or
two occasions, it was nice to know there was a beginning to the
show, a middle and an end. The intermission served as the reminder
the performance might be at its mid-point and would soon be over.
As I began to put some
thoughts together for the post this week, I suddenly realized that we
actually learn about the beginning, the middle and the end in school.
School for most usually begins in the Fall. The middle of the year, halfway, is
sometime in January, although schools generally celebrate the 100th
day, and it ends sometime later in the Spring,
But the formal
teaching of beginning, middle or halfway and end is usually taught in
conjunction with writing and story telling and is called sequencing.
I have Mrs. Graham, an elementary school teacher to thank for
learning about sequencing.... and for hoping the school year would end
as quickly as possible. “Remember,” she would say, “There is an
opening or beginning paragraph to a story, a middle paragraph or the halfway point and an ending. I learned quickly that October was not halfway through the school year.
Even in math class we
learned about sequencing. Those never ending word problems were
designed to help us with sequencing, problem solving in a logical and
orderly way. Who among us didn't like those word problems? If a
train is traveling 50 mph in one direction and a second one travels
in the opposite direction at 70 mph, who gets home first? My answer.... "It
depends upon where you live? Duh!!!" I think that may have gotten me a detention and ten more word problems for homework.
But as I watch others around me similar in age and watch my mother, who will be 94 on her next
birthday in September, I may have discovered that life, and how we
live it, is all about a beginning, a middle and an end. A profound
conclusion, I know. But when it comes to living a rich and full life,
we may not want to know when we have reached the middle, our own, personal July 2nd.
Each day begins at the
beginning, followed by a middle of the day (and perhaps a nap) and concludes at the
end of the day, with the beginning, middle and end being unique and
different for each of us.
And like a good book with a story line that keeps the reader engaged, interested
and motivated to finish the chapter and move on to the
next, each person has his or her own story to tell too. And what makes a book exciting and interesting also makes life exciting and interesting, with the twists and turns and unexpected plots
along the way, you know, the things we didn't see coming.
One of the advantages of getting older is that it provides an opportunity for
'perspective', a chance to look back at 'the very beginning', consider the events and decisions in the middle and then form conclusions about how we got to where we are. How often have you heard
someone say...”If only I had done things a bit differently.” But, in reality, would it have really made a difference?
For the most part, I
like knowing when I have reached the 'middle', whether it be at a really bad
movie, standing in line to get into the men's room at the ball park or 200 miles into a 400 mile trip in the car. What
I don't want to know, however, is the day or date of the halfway point of my life. I'm OK with not knowing that!
And July 2nd. There are some people who must watch those dates very closely, because......later that same day I saw a delivery truck parked by the loading dock
at a local store, unloading some of this year's Christmas items, soon to be placed on the store's shelves. Is it that time already and... OMG.....are those
Christmas carols I hear playing in the background?
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