Good Beginnings and Great New Starts

So, a new year is under way, and a new decade. Or did the new decade start last year? Regardless, it’s a time to look over our shoulder for a moment before marching boldly forward. With the fresh calendar page, we have a chance to clean the slate, grab a new piece of chalk, and begin to create something really great (with our erasers handy when we change our minds).

I’ve been thinking back on the great places and situations that gave me my start. I grew up with a Mom who refused to buy into the idea of a “broken home” and instead did everything possible to give me and my sister a firm foundation to carry us along in life. Our little town encouraged us with an emphasis on churches, schools, parks, concerts, parades. All of the things that make for a rich and happy childhood. We took advantage of everything that was free or affordable with a little planning and saving, and can now spend hours regaling anyone who wants to sit still long enough with countless happy tales.

After moving to Arkansas, I happened into a great place to spend my senior year of high school. At a recent reunion, I realized that Bryant was a good place for a great start in our adult lives. Attending school in a time before corporal punishment ended, we learned that life wasn’t always fair or easy, but together, we could survive and thrive. Our boundaries were clear, and consequences certain. We seemed to have emerged with a “can-do” spirit that still exists. There’s not a lot of “Why-me?”s heard in this group. It’s more often “Why not?” We don’t have a whole lot of famous or wealthy alums, but we certainly have some of the friendliest and most hard-working.

It’s probably no secret that each week of my life has a good beginning. I spend an hour or so on the first day worshipping with like minded people. The strength and happiness this provides cannot be measured. I understand those who say that they haven’t found a group where they “fit in”, but my answer is to keep trying. The process of taking the focus off of yourself and expressing thanks to the Source of your daily blessings seems to me to be the best way to prepare for the trials of the week to come.

Along those lines, our little congregation in Paron is making a very big new start this year. A new minister hopes to energize and motivate us to continue the good work that has been happening in that community for almost a hundred years. His name is in fact, Christmas. Very appropriate since that celebration commemorates the very best new beginning in the history of mankind.

Even our favorite college football team is getting in the happy New Start mode. For the first time in a very long time, we are close enough to the top of the polls to be listed among contenders for a National Championship. Our team will be celebrating the New Year a few days late in New Orleans, which is currently the center of a rebounding economy on the Gulf. It feels good to feel so good, for Razorback fans, and for residents of the Big Easy.

So what will you do with your fresh start? Are you full of hopeful plans for 2011? If not, take a look back to see what you can draw on from your past. Do you have a firm starting place by virtue of a good upbringing? If not, look around for someone you know who does. Talk to them about the source of their strength. They’ll most likely be glad to share, and may even steer you toward someone who can help.
This past summer, a Florida rainstorm trapped my grandson and me on a Disney ride with an annoying, but catchy song. It still populates our heads now and then, reminding us that “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!” Hope 2011 brings lots of great beginnings for you and yours.

A Time to Text and a Time to Tweet

A Time to Text and a Time to Tweet

          My husband doesn’t claim to be a professional auto mechanic, but he’s always been very savvy about identifying noises in the car, and determining the possible solution. Our current vehicle did have him baffled one day. While making a short trip to a nearby store, the poor thing just went berserk.  Horn honking, lights flashing, it was in all-out panic mode. This has happened on a smaller scale when I’ve accidentally pressed the wrong button on my key fob, with the intention of locking or unlocking the car. But driving down the road? Instead of continuing to potential embarrassment at his destination, he returned home and turned the key off, stopping the racket. The next time he turned it on, the “fit” continued. The nearby parts store staff identified the problem with a simple test. This was the car’s way of telling us the battery was low. Wouldn’t some sort of indicator light have served the same purpose?

          We’ve seen so many changes in our lives since we were children. Back then, we were still amazed that pictures could cross the airways from a studio across the country all the way into our living rooms. The telephone was pretty much old hat, but we had heard predictions that someday they would invent picture phones, and we worried about answering in our pajamas. Now, web-cams provide live shots of a watering hole in Africa, or an eagle’s nest high on a cliff. We take pictures with our phones, and send them instantly to anyone who cares (and some people who really don’t).

          Some advances are totally surprising. When I was a little girl, I would never imagine leaving a bathroom stall without flushing. In the high-rise office building where I work, not only is that a reality, but I also proceed to wave my hands under the faucet and the soap dispenser to cleanse them. Then, with another wave at the towel machine, I can be on my way.

          During lunch-hours at work, we all line up for our turn at the microwave. A quick glance at the directions on my frozen three-course meal fills me in. Sometimes I must peel the plastic film completely off of one area, slit another, stir after a few minutes, replace the film and continue cooking. If the whole process takes more than five minutes, we apologize about taking “forever”, and the person behind us begins his or her peeling, poking and stirring ritual.

          Cell phones have opened up another whole new world. Now that we’re equipped, folks expect us to be in touch constantly. It’s not enough to carry the phone in my purse, I have it with me all through the day, in my pocket, or even just carried in my hand. Those who text are even able to stay in contact during meetings, sending and receiving messages to someone more exciting than the person they are supposed to be listening to. This creates all sorts of moral dilemmas. We have to assess if the call coming in should be ignored, or should we excuse ourselves and take the call outside. It could be just a “hey, how ya doin, I haven’t talked to you in a few minutes” call. But what if it’s important? As the facilitator, should we ban texting? What if the person is tweeting, and he has a huge group of followers?

          Even our old stand-by key rings have changed. Besides house keys, car keys, storage unit keys, we now have electronic gadgets hanging around. These accomplish many things, like giving us access to the neighborhood pool or the gym or obtaining discounts at the grocery store. Waving them under the appropriate scanner gives instant results. Sometimes, though, these do-hickeys cancel each other out if carried to close to each other. In other words, they don’t always play well with others.

          One thing that has changed is that we no longer plan our lives around our favorite television shows. Now, we can use a recording device, and watch these shows at our leisure. That is, if one of our friends, or some over-ambitious blogger doesn’t spoil the ending for us.

          The internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. By checking the news headlines, we might learn of an earthquake on the other side of the world, or a bank robbery down the street. We can watch the radar when severe weather threatens (until the power goes out), or participate in an auction with bidders all across the country for some item we absolutely must have.

By the way- I’ve entered the world of blogs. You can find my past columns and a weekly Haiku (thanks to Howard) on jennycarlisle.net.

          Recently, several of the members of our graduating class at Bryant used an online social network to organize a reunion of sorts. After inviting everyone electronically, we met in person for a great time.  We enjoyed some good old fashioned, laugh so hard it hurts fellowship. Now that’s a good use of technology!

          I have a prediction. Write this down. I think our grandkids may do something radical when they grow up. Maybe they will rebel against their parents’ lifestyle by rejecting all of this instant communication. They may become a new generation of hippies, living simply, stripping away the trappings of the world. Their parents, of course, will be aghast. How could they live that way? But, we’ll be right there with them. We won’t have a problem going back to the days of letter-writing and once in awhile phone calls. We’ll just hang out with them, having more time to enjoy a sunset, walk in the cool evening breeze, go fishing, chase fireflies. 

          We can remember what simpler times were like, and we’d have no problem going back.

Welcome Surprises and Hidden Treasures

“Granny, Look Down!!!” My daughter-in-law’s shout prevented me from walking over my knee-high grandson. The others gathered for the Hunt family reunion laughed as I yelped and leaned down to scoop him up. It seems everyone in that pavilion on top of Petit Jean Mountain knew that my oldest son and his family were coming, except me. I was happy to switch from setting up dinner to accepting hugs and kisses from my sweeties.

Most of my favorite surprises involve someone I love, but had not expected to see at that moment. Of course, there may have been some sort of material gifts involved at one time or another, but nothing stands out like those warm smiles and hugs. A couple of years ago, all three kids cooperated in an elaborate plan to gather friends and relatives at Mills Park in Bryant for our 30^th wedding anniversary. The number of people who were required to keep secrets that day was amazing, and certainly impressed James and me. Some plans have been far less involved, like the times my second son would drive down from Fayetteville to Paron on Sunday morning, and just appear in his spot next to me in the pew. Times like these make my heart race a little, and any previous aggravations just melt away like snow.

This time of year, nature catches us off-guard with her beauty. We should have known those Bradford pears would suddenly pop out one morning. After all, they were in the same spot last year. Still, though, when the sun catches a delicate redbud in the just the right way, we gasp with a new-found respect for God’s creation. Speaking of nature- if any of you remember my column about my oldest grandson’s apple tree- I’ve attached a recent picture. Just as expected- brave new leaves are sprouting!

During Ouachita back-roads jaunts, we’ve gotten used to seeing a patch of daffodils where an old home-place once stood. They remind us that someone once loved that spot enough to plant a few perennial decorations. But what do we make of a grouping alongside the freeway? Did some highway worker embark on an un-official beautification project? Or were these wayward bulbs scooped up from their former home and accidentally transplanted? Either way, they are a welcome sight, brightening a boring drive.

Sometimes, we feel that we’re the only one who didn’t know. While delivering last month’s issue in Saline County, I discovered that the Bryant Senior Center is a happenin’ place, at least at noon on the Wednesday I dropped in. The absolute lack of parking spaces outside was a big clue, but I assumed it just meant a meal was being served. Sounds of someone singing in a microphone, and an amplified guitar began to fill in the blanks, and I opened the inner door to a real Western dance hall. A live band was performing, and couples were two-stepping around the floor. A few sat at convenient tables, but food certainly wasn’t the focus that day.

Recently, I had another “who knew?” moment when my sister and niece arrived for a visit from Texas. I was thrilled when they called on a Saturday to say they would be coming that following Monday (my motto- Guest Room at the Ready). The real surprise was their mode of transportation. Did you know that a passenger train still arrives and departs from Malvern every day? More correctly, it happens in the middle of the night, but I was totally oblivious. ( A side note- this makes me miss the depots at Benton, Bauxite and Bryant all over again. There were all in place less than 35 years ago.) Each time we went down to meet the train, there was at least one other family there either meeting or sending off a loved one. In view of the crowded freeways, might we see a return to this reliable form of getting together?

 April brings Easter, and a different sort of surprise- the hidden treasure. Just as when we were kids, the current generation searches through tall grass and behind tree trunks for colorful eggs. In our day, they were usually hard-boiled, with maybe one fancy prize egg. Now, they use more durable plastic ones, all with the potential to contain a coin, or a jelly bean. Into the basket they go, and on to the next. Last year, my small grandson couldn’t get enough of this hide and seek game. Ahh, the thrill of the hunt.

 I’ve enjoyed finding hidden treasures over the years, too. In New Orleans, the dilapidated storefronts in the French Quarter shielded beautiful courtyards, complete with fountains and flowers. There was a surprise at every turn.

Once, in West Virginia, I entered a room in an old country store that completely took my breath away. In that location for over a century, its cathedral ceiling lit by well placed windows, it had been a favorite gathering spot for locals for generations. The stone hearth and numerous rocking chairs begged me to sit down and stay, perhaps forever. A very strong déjà vu feeling made it extremely hard for me to join my family and friends as they went on to see other sights.

Of course, we don’t have to travel to other states to find beauty and a sense of belonging. Maybe because we’re surrounded by so much splendor here all the time, we don’t notice it as much. Familiarity breeds …. Familiarity.  Are you in search of hidden treasure? Daylight savings time means we don’t have to get up as early to catch a sunrise. Peek out one of these mornings, and just take a deep breath. What a welcome surprise, and it’s been there all along.