One of my favorite philosophers once stated: “When sitting on top of the world, it is best to have a comfortable chair. If you intend to stay.”
And of course there’s the ever poetic song by the extremely talented James Taylor:
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
Any fool can do it, there ain’t nothing to it.
Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill.
But since we’re on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride.The secret of love is in opening up your heart.
It’s okay to feel afraid, but don’t let that stand in your way.
Cause anyone knows that love is the only road.
And since we’re only here for a while, might as well show some style.
Last weekend I was sitting at one of my favorite spots. Just me, my cigar (Kinky Friedman KF Signature Series), a few wild mountain goats, a Road Runner, and some Hummingbirds. It was quiet. Only the wind was heard. I was at one with myself (which really, is kind of scary if you think about it) and Mother Earth. My mind wandered…How did I get here? What would I do here? How would I leave my mark? Should I leave my mark? Doesn’t a man need to leave his mark? How long would I stay? How long would I live? Did I even deserve to be here? These are the things one thinks of when left to their own accord. No TV. No cell phone. No video games. No mind rot. Just me and Mother Nature. And everyone knows, you can’t fool Mother Nature.
So, first things first. I was one of those who had to beat the odds. Oh, yes, it can be done. I was destined to become a screw-up. I know it. Everyone knows it. I won’t bore you with my sob stories. The world is full of them. They are common and becoming more so as time moves forward. How did I get here? Well, I worked hard. Pretty simple right? Actually yes, yes it is. When you have little or nothing, no food on the table, and no Daddy Warbucks (look it up), you figure out real fast how bust you butt and move yourself up the totem pole.
What will I do with my time on Earth? That’s simple. Work hard, raise a family, and do good and righteous things. Done.
How will I leave my mark? See above. #Family, it’s the ONLY thing.
How long will I be here? I don’t know. Nobody knows that. Life is fragile. In less than a heartbeat, it can be snatched away from you before you even realize what has happened. My feeling is, I’m not about to waste time. Time is precious. When I get called home, I don’t want to think about the time I wished I could get back doing something meaningless. Everything has meaning. And I make sure every day (sometimes more) that my people (and dogs of course) know how I feel about them.
Do I deserve to be siting on top of the world? I don’t know. I think I must, or why would I be? I think what helped me most was having an unseen helping hand rest upon my shoulder, guiding me through the many pitfalls of life. It definitely didn’t hurt, and one day I plan on thanking whoever that is (I know who you are).
Now the thing about time is that time isn’t really real.
It’s just your point of view, how does it feel for you?
Einstein said he could never understand it all.
Planets spinning through space, the smile upon your face, welcome to the human race.
Oh, and the philosopher who I quoted above? None other than Jake Harm of the C&W band, Jake Harm And The Holdouts. Although, after a few Shiner Bark Beers, he’d probably refer to himself as a philofficer. You can read all about him in The Dudley Files, dog comedy mystery novels. But then, you already knew that. Because a man’s got to leave his mark.
