Letters to the Editor
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Ah, the road of life.
I grew up in Southern California. Back in the 1960’s in all but the hottest months of the year my friends and I would escape from our normal weekly school routine to the vast arid lands of the eastern part of the state that is generally referred to as the Mojave Desert. This was before the days of SUVs. Back then true desert rats drove jeeps or power wagons, but we managed quite successfully to navigate this vast landscape in VW Beetles, and a 1953 Chevrolet. One of the things we liked to do was just follow a dirt road and see where it led. Around or over small hills and thru ravines often we would discover a long abandon mine, small house or shack. Many times I am sure we were the first humans to come upon them since who ever it was that used them had for some reason or other, closed the door and never returned. On other occasions the road we followed would divide and then divide again, each time the path to choose becoming less obvious, eventually leaving us in the middle of nowhere with no clear choice as to which direction to proceed at all.
Nature has provided us with a map for our lives as well, that all of us following more or less, whether we are aware of it or not. The problem is as I see it that once we get a little past middle age that road becomes must less distinct. I am convinced that this accounts for what we refer to as Mid Life Crisis. What has happened is our internal programming; the result of millions of years of evolution just basically plays out. What we think of, as Free Will is really nothing of the sort. We are all pretty much compelled by nature to find a mate, reproduce, and then provide for and protect our family. We watch the little ones grow up, and leave the nest and then that’s pretty much it. Nature doesn’t really need us to do anything more. We’ve passed the flame on to them as they set out to follow their own life’s journey. About all we’re left to do is provide any guidance we can based upon our own experiences.
Once you confront and understand this truth, it’s not so bad. I just wish someone had told me what to expect before I went thru it myself - although I probably wouldn’t have believed them if they had! Live and learn.