Reflecting: the act of looking back for the purpose of understanding the present and maybe anticipating the future.   Is that even possible nowadays?

“Why would you ask that, Dave?” 

Because you can’t make most of the current present up.  How does one understand it all and know where it came from.?  Or where we are headed?

Small example: Stormy (porn star) Daniels is on a major TV show cracking jokes about having illicit sex with the president of the United States (is that fiction-humour or facts stated with grin?).  He denies everything which, in Trumps case, verifies everything (lying all the time is now the new norm?).  His lawyer admits everything, gets it all wrong and then repeats it all (presidential lawyers and press secretaries consistently contradict themselves?).  And the porn-star wants to reveal more (there’s more???).  And this gong show goes on and on and on.  Somewhere along the line, a porn star became the voice of reason and is leading the fight against a pathologically lying president.  Who could have imagined that?

Any idea what is real anymore?

But Trump is NOT my topic for today.  My topic is my own reflections on life.  Me.  Us.  Where are we?  How did we get here?  And where are we headed?

By ‘we’, I mean Sally and I.  Mostly.  I can also reflect on the larger ‘we’, those of us living off the grid and the even larger-again ‘we’, those of us living on a climate changing planet in more-than-just-interesting times.  There is a lot to reflect on.

But, at a gut level – I am starting with us.  We are here and loving it.  So, residing here is mostly a given for the foreseeable future. We are getting markedly older and so our future here will be different than it has been.  It is already changing.  We need to make some additional adjustments.  For instance: wood-getting used to be a three day blitz chore.  Maybe four.  Now it is a few weeks.  We have to do less per day so that we can do it all.  Blitzing any job is pretty much over.

Another element seems to be emerging – we keep planning on winters elsewhere. In the beginning (here) we left every other winter but, if we are being honest, we are slowly changing to annual snow-birds and it is unlikely we will ever stay more than one or two winters in future.  So, that needs attention.  Do I re-visit the insane, expensive and dangerous USA simply for the sunshine?  Do I look for an RV?

AND we have a grandchild.  Surprising what a schedule changer he’s become.

We may also have developed a writing habit.  Hard to say.  We’ve done three books in three years and enjoyed it more each time.  The reading public hasn’t, but we have.  So, it may be a habit, it may not.  Rejection and/or acceptance will determine that, I guess.  Writing is fun but selling them beyond a token number is essential to keep the ego motivated.  We’ll see.

Our bodies are basically good.  Very good for our age, I guess.  But that is no way to judge.  They have to be good-good, not good-for-the-age-category.  And bodies, like cars, surprise their owners now and again with breakdowns and repairs.  So far, we are good but a few months back, Sal had two flat tires (on her car) and so surprises DO happen to all of us.

Money is always a bit of an issue.  Not much because we don’t really care so long as we can eat and drink wine but it is of some concern because we are not rolling in it.  We live within a budget.  Which is fine…as long as you can REMAIN within the budget.  And the world is heating up in that regard.  BIG BUSINESS relies on inflation and the BIG BOYS want it back and want it bad.  They are trying to stoke the inflationary furnaces every time I look.

And it is working.  Slowly interest rates are rising.  Virtually everything we consume has gone up in price.  The official ‘cost of living index’ is a total lie currently pegged at around 3%.  Stats Can doesn’t buy gasoline in BC, I guess.  Nor avocados, wine or building materials.  THEIR (fantasy) basket of goods is Kraft Mac and Cheese, milk and maybe salt? Who knows?  But whatever it is, it ain’t real. My cost of living is up 10% over the last two years and climbing.  That will play a role.

Friends, family, society…….everyone is aging so some will pass.  Some will become less engaged.  Many fall into the margins of just-memories.  And society-on-the-whole holds less interest for us so we are less engaged overall.  Squirrels and gardens seem to appeal more, tho.  It’s all natural but it’s also another change.

This is a surprise: I read less.  Well, I read MORE, actually, but fewer books.  Two reasons – even tho I am NOT a good writer, my writing has improved and so I find myself less tolerant or accepting of poorly written stuff.  I should be MORE accepting because I know how hard it is but I am not.  If the book doesn’t grab me, I stop reading.  I do the same with movies too, now.  The second reason: my brain and eyes are getting old so, if it isn’t worth the effort, I don’t work ’em.  Weird.

I might fish.  I know…….who woulda thunk it….. but I like to eat ’em and I have slowed down sufficiently that doing nothing for hours at a time doesn’t drive me mad anymore and, if you are not reading as much, you may as well fish.  Right?  We’ll see about how that works out.

So, there you have it…a bit of reflection.  Where is Dave and where is he going?  Is he even moving?  Check his pulse.