Welcoming October
Where did the time go? It flies by more quickly than I would like, especially as I get older, thus justification for making each moment count.
September will soon be just a distant memory, and a happy one. It was a busy month, spending most of my time outdoors communing with nature – chasing after butterflies and other insects, hiking trails, meditating in gardens, and reading near streams. There were drives into the country, and visits to quaint towns and cities.
It was a month to usher in a new season – fall, and I took my celebration outdoors once more, taking the occasional early morning and late evening walk on the local trails in my neighborhood (Jones Falls & Stony Run), appreciating the many shades of green and the lush forestry before the change… Visiting the Loch Raven Reservoir to feed the Canadian geese, seagulls and other birds that flock in mass numbers and are visually stunning, and there were a few cocktail hours and with that came meaty conversation and a helluva lot of laughter – Thank you, friends!
However, the best part of September’s chapter came at the end with the cultural arts season beginning. Opera is in full swing at the Washington National Opera, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is better than ever.
I’ll begin October as I always do, with an early morning hike – giving thanks for my past, honoring my present, and remaining more hopeful than ever for my future – a challenge at times, but nevertheless hopeful because the alternative, which is fear, must never be an option. If we have any intention of succeeding in this life we must be hopeful, and not just for ourselves, but for the world at large.
Each day really is a gift, and we must always remember this by showing our gratitude, perhaps with a prayer or a good deed, but always with a smile toward friend and foe. I mention foe because all civil discourse feeds into our karma. If we can learn to let go of the hurt from others, we place ourselves in a better position to further our individual character while improving society.
Moving forward, it pays to look back, retracing steps to see where we are on our path in life. If you are a list person like me, it’s important to review goals, as well as the extreme high and low points of the journey, making comparisons to see how you can better increase your successes while decreasing the failures. There’s no way to alleviate those burdensome tests to our resolve, as some would like, but why would you because that’s what makes us grow stronger and wiser.
Here’s to October, a month that’s sure to entice and please. Here’s to sunny days, and cool nights, and Mother Nature painting the town in brilliant colors. Find your joy, friends. Always! – paerki
September will soon be just a distant memory, and a happy one. It was a busy month, spending most of my time outdoors communing with nature – chasing after butterflies and other insects, hiking trails, meditating in gardens, and reading near streams. There were drives into the country, and visits to quaint towns and cities.
It was a month to usher in a new season – fall, and I took my celebration outdoors once more, taking the occasional early morning and late evening walk on the local trails in my neighborhood (Jones Falls & Stony Run), appreciating the many shades of green and the lush forestry before the change… Visiting the Loch Raven Reservoir to feed the Canadian geese, seagulls and other birds that flock in mass numbers and are visually stunning, and there were a few cocktail hours and with that came meaty conversation and a helluva lot of laughter – Thank you, friends!
However, the best part of September’s chapter came at the end with the cultural arts season beginning. Opera is in full swing at the Washington National Opera, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is better than ever.
I’ll begin October as I always do, with an early morning hike – giving thanks for my past, honoring my present, and remaining more hopeful than ever for my future – a challenge at times, but nevertheless hopeful because the alternative, which is fear, must never be an option. If we have any intention of succeeding in this life we must be hopeful, and not just for ourselves, but for the world at large.
Each day really is a gift, and we must always remember this by showing our gratitude, perhaps with a prayer or a good deed, but always with a smile toward friend and foe. I mention foe because all civil discourse feeds into our karma. If we can learn to let go of the hurt from others, we place ourselves in a better position to further our individual character while improving society.
Moving forward, it pays to look back, retracing steps to see where we are on our path in life. If you are a list person like me, it’s important to review goals, as well as the extreme high and low points of the journey, making comparisons to see how you can better increase your successes while decreasing the failures. There’s no way to alleviate those burdensome tests to our resolve, as some would like, but why would you because that’s what makes us grow stronger and wiser.
Here’s to October, a month that’s sure to entice and please. Here’s to sunny days, and cool nights, and Mother Nature painting the town in brilliant colors. Find your joy, friends. Always! – paerki
