"INCH BY INCH ANYTHING'S A CINCH" (July 31-August 29, 2024)

Sunset in New Bern, North Carolina

We began the last thirty -day stretch with a brief fifteen-day excursion to visit with friends in Michigan and Ohio. This stretch also included a weeklong stay at Wyndham Harbour Resort in New Bern, North Carolina. We were joined there by long-time friends, Mike and Lois Crawford, from Tipp City, Ohio. I was their pastor in the 1980s! 

Next, it's back off to Michigan for five days before returning to the Hoosier state for most of September and October. Looking forward to watching several of our youngest granddaughter's volleyball games as she plays out her Senior High School season.

                                    REFLECTIONS

While in North Carolina, I was able to observe a rather large alligator every day from the deck of our condo. He would cruise across the lake and come over our way. Most of the time he would just hang around with only his head above the surface. Hardly moving, it was as if he were waiting for someone to provide him his breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It was interesting, but boring!

Then, one morning, he showed up with a pre-packaged meal in his mouth. He had, somehow, secured a large Snapping Turtle as his breakfast! Problem was that he couldn't eat it before removing the hard outside packaging!

I watched intently from about ten yards away as he proceeded to, every five minutes, raise himself as high above the water as he could and with a tremendous twist of his huge scaley head smash his dish on the surface with such force that the shell began to crack. Finally, after six such tries, he was able to throw his head back and consume his meal. 

After seeing this and taking some time to think about it, I started to remember something that my parents used to say. They would say, "don't bite off more than you can chew".

I think that in my retirement life I spend a great deal of time just hanging around. Then I get "inspired" and decide to do something big. All too often the enormity of the project causes me to eventually give up the idea and retreat to just being happy to keep my head above water.

I need to be better at devouring things in smaller pieces. I need to break them down into smaller bites and keep working at them every five minutes, five days, or five months! I need to remind myself that this type of patient, consistent effort could ultimately result in being able to throw my head back and enjoy the result.

During WW2 the Seabees, who cleared the jungle islands for runways, had a motto; "Inch by Inch anything's a cinch!"

That's still true today! Keep living your life in bite-size pieces and you will surely partake of many enjoyable meals!

Sunset in Howell, Michigan