We are all different.

We are all different....

I was at a meeting for a local Habitat for Humanity committee. Participants were all in their late 50's through to late 60's. It turned out that a few of us had all had friends die recently and we were commenting on how that felt. We said that it made us realise that life is so so short. Our time with ones who had gone had seemed to fly... When deaths like these happen, it feels like life seems to fly by at a very fast pace. Especially as you get older, you begin to realise that whatever time you have remaining will be over soon enough.

We were busy planning the next Habitat build and one guy commented with words like ... "It makes you not want to muck around building stupid Habitat houses... you should be out enjoying life." When I heard this I realised how different we all are because my mind worked differently. I tend to think.... "Life is short, I haven't much time left to make a difference... I better get cracking and do some worthwhile stuff... like building Habitat houses." That's why I have been so frustrated, no one else seems to have the same sense of urgency.

Great scenery!

My wife and I have been married forty years! (10th May 1969) We were in a sense sent on a weekend trip to celebrate the fact. We made use of some holiday vouchers the kids gave us for my sixtieth birthday. It started badly... Friday was full of interruptions so we did not get away as early as we wanted. We drove up the road in shocking conditions and nearly ran off the road when the tyres did not want to take a sharp corner. Further up we encountered a major accident which was to block the road for three hours. We were so looking forward to a spa bath in a flash motel in Oamaru. Instead we had to make do with uncomfortable single beds with a toilet down the hall in a pub half way there! Saturday was good though. Our Christchurch son had gathered up our other son and his partner and driven the 200k down to lunch with us in Timaru... it was neat. We carried on to Lake Tekapo, a very picturesque place, especially with autumn colours still around. Next morning it was even more picturesque with a heavy dump of snow. We drove on carefully through the snow to Mount Cook, and pretended we were rich at the hermitage there for the night. Upon hearing it was our fortieth they upgraded us to a flash room with panoramic views on the sixth floor. Today's views of the country side, the snow and the mountains were out of this world! What a great privilege it is to live in such a beautiful country? Back to reality now though.... work tomorrow and the next forty years of married bliss.... or whatever remains.

As I was saying....life is short!

Forty years married? Really? It does not feel it! It feels like only yesterday I was that horny 20 year old bridegroom. Forty years has flown by and the truth is that if I am very fortunate I have only half of that time of living left! What have I done? Better get working!