08-26-2022, 08:28 AM
It's not as simple as saying I'm getting old. Living a long time in pursuit of faith teaches you a lot about yourself and what really matters. As I get older, there are some things that are no longer any fun for me. Crawling under a car to fix things is still okay, but I no longer enjoy the challenge of mechanical mysteries. If it's not obvious how to fix it, I am no longer willing to puzzle over it.
And for all my blather about the wonders of computer technology over the years, it's also wearing thin. If nothing else, the possibilities are no longer endless. The social and political situation is going to take it all away. That's how things go in this world. I still like using computers, and they are important to how I get things done, but in the end, they are just tools, nothing more. I'll keep that typewriter under my desk for when the time comes it's the only thing that can't be restricted by outside forces. I'm not likely to write much about computer technology any more, though it won't drop to zero.
As my individual personal resources fade away due to aging, I'm forced to consider the one remaining real interest I have in life: glorifying Christ. A lot of other stuff just withers away because it depends too much on the human situation. I haven't lost interest in living, but I'm a good deal more economical about what I'll invest in it. I know I'll still be tweaking how I do things to the very end, but the means of the doing is a lot less interesting than it used to be.
So maybe you've caught onto the one thing so far that yields for me a bounty to small investments: cycling. Closely attached to that is photography. Right now, it's the one human concern that still gives to me more than it takes from me. So you'll keep hearing about cycling and photography. I noticed yesterday as I was driving across Texas how many hundreds of things I passed that I really wanted to capture with my camera, but I would have never gotten home if I had stopped for them. When I'm cycling, that's never an issue. I've never liked the hassle of dealing with a car when it comes to pursuing photography. The car always got in the way of the shooting.
I might miss the convenience of having my own car, but I reckon I won't miss it enough to notice when I weigh it against all that it costs me in terms of personal resources. I'll keep my bike and camera, though.
And for all my blather about the wonders of computer technology over the years, it's also wearing thin. If nothing else, the possibilities are no longer endless. The social and political situation is going to take it all away. That's how things go in this world. I still like using computers, and they are important to how I get things done, but in the end, they are just tools, nothing more. I'll keep that typewriter under my desk for when the time comes it's the only thing that can't be restricted by outside forces. I'm not likely to write much about computer technology any more, though it won't drop to zero.
As my individual personal resources fade away due to aging, I'm forced to consider the one remaining real interest I have in life: glorifying Christ. A lot of other stuff just withers away because it depends too much on the human situation. I haven't lost interest in living, but I'm a good deal more economical about what I'll invest in it. I know I'll still be tweaking how I do things to the very end, but the means of the doing is a lot less interesting than it used to be.
So maybe you've caught onto the one thing so far that yields for me a bounty to small investments: cycling. Closely attached to that is photography. Right now, it's the one human concern that still gives to me more than it takes from me. So you'll keep hearing about cycling and photography. I noticed yesterday as I was driving across Texas how many hundreds of things I passed that I really wanted to capture with my camera, but I would have never gotten home if I had stopped for them. When I'm cycling, that's never an issue. I've never liked the hassle of dealing with a car when it comes to pursuing photography. The car always got in the way of the shooting.
I might miss the convenience of having my own car, but I reckon I won't miss it enough to notice when I weigh it against all that it costs me in terms of personal resources. I'll keep my bike and camera, though.