It was a bit chilly at 7:00 AM so I returned to my bed with my coffee and bagel. At 9:00 AM, it is finally at 65-degrees with an anticipated high of 78-degrees. The cardinals are belching some of their favorite all-time hit.

For about twenty minutes I have observed a rather chunky cardinal in the tree from Mama Kay’s backyard but after putting on my glasses I have discovered it to be a large dead leaf that has turned orange.

For the past several weeks, I’ve been contemplating a number of things to consider, or rather, reconsider. The questions of “what do I want or need in my life?’ coupled with “what is it I no longer need or want in my life?”

Daunting questions? Yes. Yes, they are, yet they’re vital to life, now, and what I potentially face as I continue this aging process. However, I will not be intimidated by such choices with planning, and eventually, making decisions as I treat them like a typical life adventure. I have always loved adventures and hope that devotion never wanes because adventures, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, are what keep me going and thriving. They also keep me thinking “young.”

One of my fears since youth have concerned finding myself “stuck” or in a rut. Having lived a life invested in the performing arts and education has kept that fear at bay. I observed early on, that Mother, and her parents, Grandpa Leroy and Grandma Donna, always seemed to keep up with the times, keeping fresh and not as stiff in behaviors and beliefs as their ages might warrant. I did see signs, at times, but I never saw any of them buried in vaults of rigid demands to stay put as I observed in others who were of similar age.

I was not the typical child. I have never been the typical adult, either. Some would say I “marched to a different drummer” yet, I’ve simply lived life as I’ve desired. While growing up in the small town of Elwood, Indiana, and experiencing a lot of campus life at Ball State University while visiting with my father during his classes, or during my many camps until becoming a BSU student, I lived in a world of music, history, genealogy, and the performing arts, mostly directing and writing. It was a different, distant world than other children my age. My family, teachers, neighbors, and experiences always pushed me beyond any borders that could have been potential barriers. I will forever be grateful to those people who believed in me.

I never fit in. I still do not. And, that is okay! I always feared that should I fit in, I might end up being just another puzzle piece in a gigantic 10,000-piece puzzle, unable to accomplish much because of being a tight fit. I never needed to, nor wanted to stand out, but I have always wished to simply be my own puzzle. Ironically, my life has always had moments of standing out and being in the spotlight, sometimes by choice so that I could accomplish what I felt needed to be fixed, but mostly by happenstance. Many times, I found myself out front because I needed to learn something in order to be of service to the next chapter. I do like those times when I make a decision to do something and the journey takes off in a different direction.

So, I will attend to mowing the yard and some trimming while listening to music and plotting the next steps and directions to take. It’s exciting. Yes, a bit intimidating, but how exhilarating and blessed to have choices and options.

Whatever is on your buffet of life, be sure to enjoy the ability to select and make decisions! And, by all means, make it a great day!