Milestone

Yesterday marked a personal milestone. Although this particular milestone was dubious in its nature, about which I’d rather have not thought, the date could not be ignored. It marked the 40th anniversary of my enlistment in the U.S. Army.

Yesterday marked a personal milestone.

Although this particular milestone was dubious in its nature, about which I’d rather have not thought, the date could not be ignored.

It marked the 40th anniversary of my enlistment in the U.S. Army.

I was a mere whelp of 18, far less aware of the world around me and all it had to offer – good as well as bad.

My gawd, these four decades slipped by much too rapidly.  Where did they get to?

“Through early morning fog I see

  Visions of the things to be

  The pains that are withheld for me

  I realize and I can see…”*

When just starting out on the journey, we look at everything with eyes open wide.

As time marches on, and life progresses, we tend to lose focus, keeping our eyes wide shut.

If I take the time that has passed since my rebirth, that first great fearfilled leap into transpires might seem mundane:

A son on the verge of his 30th birthday;

29 years of marriage – five the first time, followed by a 24-year run;

Eight years at university, resulting in two degrees;

14 years of home ownership (that makes me feel tied to a mortgage);

And, so it goes…

With respect to friendships, I’ve learned that the more we travel life’s serpentine path, the more people come into our lives.  Some are wonderful, others not so much.

As much as each person we meet brings the pleasure of new flavor to life’s potluck banquet, those very few who stick around for the long haul provide the true sustenance of life.

At the outset, we race along as though anything that’s worth doing must be done now.

With the wisdom of maturity comes the realization that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

And, with few exceptions everything we do depends upon the outcome of a 50-50 decision.

My Father was not possessed of an adventurous spirit.  Somewhere he lost the chutzpah his own father had displayed by coming to America, sans parents, as a 12-year-old.

Dad always took the safe path, more concerned with taking and holding onto the first regular job that came along than venturing out to see what might be available beyond the horizon.

Such a narrow view always seemed like a waste of the possibilities the planet held open to us.

For as long as I can recollect, my choice has been the path that my Old Man never would have followed.

Even so, I have often wondered about the road not taken.

However, there’s no percentage in worrying about “What if..?”

I had a long talk with my Godmother (I’ve written about “Goomah Irene” several times on these pages) during Easter weekend.  Although Irene’s a devout Catholic, and I have chosen to embrace Judaism, she has never once expressed any condemnation of my “lapse.”

When I explained that it was great emotional dysfunction that pushed me out of the house and into the Army less than a year after high school graduation, despite a war raging in VietNam, my “Goomah” asked it I ever regretted the decision.

I didn’t need any time to think about a response.  My answer was that, had I not taken that giant leap away from the nest at such a young age, I might never have left the county.

Being just 18, I benefited from a heightened ability to appreciate new surroundings, and learn from the ensuing encounters; had I waited a few more years, my sense of adventure may have been curtailed.

There is myriad variety among people and places in the world around us, more than any of us can experience in a lifetime, and far too many individuals fear that which is beyond their own front doors.

It is a shame to waste all that we can taste from the banquet of life; I’m always ready to try the next course.

“The sword of time will pierce our skins

  It doesn’t hurt when it begins

  But as it works its way on in

  The pain grows stronger… watch it grin…”*

Don’t wait till it’s too late to enjoy the feast.

Shalom.

* “Suicide is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H)” by Johnny Mandel

(Jerry Tenuto is an erstwhile Philosopher and sometime Educator.  A veteran with seven years of service in the U.S. Army, he holds a BS and MA in Communications from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  Depending upon your taste in political stew, you can either blame or thank Jerry for his weekly “Out Of The Blue” feature in The Lone Star Iconoclast.  Visit his blog Blue State View at illinoiscentral.blogspot.com)