Monday, June 11, 2007

Baby Boomers

It was a quiet and restful weekend. It was exactly what I needed. I managed to get out of the office early on Friday. My oldest son, who is in charge of all family car maintenance, was going to meet me at home and take my car for some warranty repairs. This meant I was going to have the whole afternoon at home to do whatever I wanted. The first thing I did was transfer all the TV and DVD remotes from my wife's table to mine. Then I went to my music room and selected a few of my favorite musical DVD's, i.e. The Monterey Pop Festival (A Summer of Love event), Carlos Santana & Friends at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and John Fogerty at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles (I saw this same show in Cincinnati and it was one of the highlights of last summer for a friend and me). Once the DVD's had been selected I sat in my new Lazy Boy chair and turned it up LOUD. I was quite content for the afternoon. Admittedly, I did doze off late in the afternoon despite the jamming.

Saturday was free of obligations except that my wife and I did bust her mother out of the nursing home. Although she still has some memory issues, she has been making a nice recovery and we hope to take her back to the assisted living home where she has been since late 2003. Needless to say she felt like a bird that had been released from it's cage. I knew she was getting better because she is bored and complains about the food. We wanted to give her a good meal so we tried a new restaurant called "Mimi's Cafe". I'm not sure if this is a chain or not but it is the first one in Louisville. It has a French decor but the food is American which means something for everyone. I had some very tasty Cordon Bleu.

Sunday afternoon I watched a very interesting PBS special called "The Boomer Century 1946-2046". You are a baby boomer if you were born between 1946 and 1964. It was like watching a history of my own life so far. Even though my generation is not perfect, this show made me proud to be a Baby Boomer. The future is hopeful and optimistic for my generation but not lacking in challenges. There was a statement in the show that I thought was great and it went like this, "We are what we leave behind". I found that this statement intriguing. I hope to live many more years but if I died today, what am I leaving behind that represents me and says something about who I was? In general I hope that my own attempts to raise my consciousness and deepen my spirit have encouraged others to do so as well. That is part of the reason I share my journey with others. I would also be leaving behind two sons and a granddaughter. What part of me will continue to live in them? Who knows? They may change the world in a way that I have not. I may have been born just to be their father and grandfather. When I am gone and people are sorting through all my stuff they will find these daily thoughts as well as hand written thoughts that contain much family history and some of my personal angst. I have a nice library of books dealing with various aspects of spirituality and a music collection that any baby boomer would kill to have. Filling in all the gaps are many trinkets and souvenirs I gathered throughout my life but what will I leave behind that is intangible? What memories will others have of me or you? How will we be remembered? What is our legacy? What difference did we make in the lives of others? People who know me at work will remember these thoughts more than any work I did. How will family remember us? What about friends? When our lives are over, what will be the sum of our existence? I hope I am remembered as a kind and compassionate man. One who was respectful of the old and playful with children. I hope I will be remembered as one who walked the talk of what he believed in. Some will remember my seriousness but I hope more will remember my humor. Will I be remembered for my attempts to love? I hope I have also made some think but also laugh. All of these thoughts may seem a depressing way to start a Monday. These thoughts, however, are not about impending death. They are about life. This is a challenge for all of us to live well, love much, forgive all, hurt no one, to dance and laugh everyday

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