What Will Happen ( #AtoZChallenge )

       We might know what we think might happen in our futures, but none of us can say for certain what will happen even if that future seems kind of certain.  What will happen is just what will happen. We're just along for the ride...



 
 What Will Happen


         When I set out with my A to Z theme this year I had a somewhat vague concept that I would write about my life and where I see myself going in the years to come.  It was as good of a plan as any other I suppose, especially in these Pandemic Days.  Just meandering thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness approach seemed like a good way to go in 2020.

          The truth is that this is pretty much how I've been blogging for the past decade.  In fact, one might reasonably suggest that this is the way I've approached my whole life.  Every outcome in my life has been a surprise even though that outcome might have been precisely what was expected, whether by me or someone else, and most of my expectations were probably not well considered considering that how they turned out was often not at all like what I expected.

          Riffing in the stream-of-consciousness can be great fun for word play and it's my preferred style of communicating my thoughts, but I'm pretty sure that a solid sense of life planning might have made more sense for me in the long run.  I've often been one to get lost in my thoughts to the point that I've gotten diverted by many a side road along the way.  A more structured type of person might call someone like me unfocused.  Perhaps that's the danger of living a stream-of-conscious life--a continual barrage of shiny objects dazzle my view into a burst of astonishment and wonderment that keeps me in a mental whirl.

         What will happen in my future if I continue this path I've been on?   Maybe I'll just continue being me.  The child in me is still wide-eyed yet laden with the crustiness of lost loves, sad tales, and forgotten past things.  I hope I can continue to plod forward although my shoes have become worn and tied together with the strings of memories. 

         I don't really know what will happen in the years to come.  I'm looking for something good.  I'm hoping that something good is looking for me as well.


          Have your life plans mostly turned out as you expected?   To what extent do you actually plan your future?   Do you think your future looks promising or somewhat bleak?  

Don't Worry ( #BOTB Results )

Anxiety weighs down the heart,  but a kind word cheers it up.    

Proverbs 12:25 New International Version (NIV)

Pondering the Colorado River in Austin Texas

Pandemic Days

        There's so much for people to worry about these days that it's difficult to know where to start.  Maybe it's best to start by not worrying.  Jesus said not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34) and if you don't take any stock in what Jesus had to say then just use common sense.  How are you going to make things better by worrying? 

          If you find yourself consumed by worry then maybe you need to take some action to take your mind off of that worry.  After all, worry is essentially an act of selfishness if no action is taken to find ways to remedy that which is worrying you.  Worry is wasted effort which culminates in no positive result.  If all you do is worry then you aren't working towards personal wellness and your worry can become more contagious than the worst disease.

         Would you rather be spreading the negative energy of worry or the positive energy of hope, concern for others, and the mindset that things will get better? 

        Sometimes children know best.  Here's a story that my daughter Ada Z shared recently about my dear granddaughter, Grace, who is seven years old:

My daughter, Grace, had a dream the other night. She said,
“We were sitting around the campfire as a family and God came down to sit with us. He started singing a song about the world. Then he ate a marshmallow. Everything is going to be ok”

I asked her how she knew that it was God. She said, “It was definitely God”.

The smile that she had on her face and the twinkle in her eye gave me so much hope and it has truly gotten me through the last few days.

         Thank you for that sweet story, Ada, and bless the wisdom of my granddaughter, Gracie.  She put into words with elegant simplicity the advice I've been trying to live by over the past decade or so.  Eat marshmallows and sing happy songs.  Everything will turn out just fine--or at least the way it's supposed to work out.

Battle of the Bands Results

My Martyr Battle

         My most recent Battle saw "Joan of Arc" by Jennifer Warnes go up against "The Martyr" by prog rock group Wally.  As some of you might have guessed, my favorite was the song by Wally.   However either of the albums that these songs came from are big favorites of mine.  The voting ran close at the beginning of the race, but then Wally broke out ahead to capture the win.

   Final Vote Tally

Jennifer Warnes     5 votes

Wally                       9 votes

Next Battle on Wednesday April 1st

        This is going to be a big day in blogging since this will also be the start of Blogging from A to Z April Challenge for 2020.   So far nearly 300 blogs are signed up to the official list, but many more will be participating through social media sites like Facebook.  If you're basically locked down for the current pandemic then why not join us in A to Z.  This seems like the year to do it.

       And wait!  There's more!   April 1st will also be the posting date for Insecure Writer's Support Group.  So it's gonna be a whopper of a blogging day.  I've pulled all these together in one post in previous years so I guess I can do it again.

        Please be well.  And don't be afraid.