"Time keeps on slippin'..."

28 September, 2000

When you reach certain ages, you are supposed to take a moment to assess what your life has accomplished so far, and what things you would like to do with the rest of it. I'm not certain who makes these rules, but this one seems relatively easy to comply with. I did just have a major birthday, so I guess I should begin with a list of what I've accomplished.

So far:

• I've been honored to be called "friend" by a lot of nice people.
• I've had the privilege of making music in too many places to count.
• I've felt the giddy mix of disbelief, joy, pride, and fear of seeing my words in print.
• I've had the privilege of helping others get their words and drawings into print.
• I've watched thousands of sunsets.
• I've smelled a lot of flowers.
• I've seen a beautiful baby come into the world.
• I've watched people I love achieve some of their dreams.
• I had the most wonderful man in the world share the rest of his life with me.
• I had yet another most wonderful man in the world come into my life.

I haven't led a perfect life, by any means, but I think I've done okay. I wish I was better at doing things when I originally plan to. I wish I wasn't quite so stubborn. I wish I could install a delay switch in my mouth, so I wouldn't say things I regret.

I've made a few mistakes in my life, but I believe I learned a valuable lesson from each one. I hope to make fewer in the years ahead. Since no one is perfect, I can't expect or promise more than that.

Sometimes we place too much importance on mistakes. We should acknowledge when we do something wrong. We should try not to repeat a mistake. But when we focus all of our attention on avoiding any possible mistake, we just set ourselves up for disappointment. And we wear ourselves out.

I want to have some energy and time left over to do the fun things in life. So, while I shall try to make fewer mistakes, I'm not going to worry over much about it.

During the rest of my life:

• I would like to see the earth from orbit with my own eyes.
• I would like to get all the stories I have partially written finished.
• I would like to grow a blue rose and have it bloom for more than two years before it dies and I have to start over.
• I would like to read all the books I've meant to.
• I would like to put a smile on someone's face every day.
• I would like to see a lot of sunsets.
• I would like to take nice walks with Michael.
• I would like to keep learning.

So, I guess I would like to keep doing what I've done, only better. It's been a fun four decades. I don't know how many more years I'll get, but I intend to enjoy them all.

The title of today's essay...

In 1976 it was nearly impossible to listen to the radio and not hear the Steve Miller Band singing "Fly Like an Eagle" with its almost zen chorus "Time keeps on slippin' slippin' slippin' into the future..." Steve Miller had had a promising career as a blues guitarist until he was nearly killed in a car accident in 1972. With many bones broken, including his neck, Miller spent a long time strapped to a bed, nearly helpless. An experience like that makes you think about a lot of things. When he was well enough to start working again, "Fly Like an Eagle" was one of the first songs he wrote.

"Feed the babies who have no food to eat. Shoe the children with no shoes on their feed. House the people living on the street. Oh, lord, there's a solution."

To me, the song is a hopeful cautionary tale.There are solutions to many of the problems plaguing this world. Some of these solutions are within our own power to accomplish. We just have to be willing to do it--now, not later, because we never know if there will be a later.

This page is copyright 2000 by Gene Breshears. Photograph is copyright 1998 by Julie Rampke. All Rights Reserved.