I did something quite unusual this week. For me, anyway. I
took the week off, without plans. No travels. No notes to write. Saturday thru
Thursday without specific plans for anything.
Before I continue, let me state for the record that I love
my home, my family, my work, my small farm, and the life I’ve built. Not bad
for a country boy from Loudon whose only ambitions growing up were football and
hauling hay.
And Boy Scouts. It was there that I started my leadership
journey. It was there that I was first prompted to step out of my comfort zone.
Boundary Waters canoe trips. Eagle Scout. Order of the Arrow. All those helped shape the person I am
today.
But this week really forced me to slow down. Observe.
Listen. Do all those things that my busy, hectic life doesn’t really allow.
Breakfast was the same. Every morning. Two eggs, half a
piece of Benton’s bacon, a slice of sourdough bread that I made myself.
After that, I often retired to my basement art studio, where
I painted. Yes, I paint. Often, during this time of year. Some call me an
artist. I think of myself as a painter. I don’t create as much as I mimic. I
love big splashes of color and am constantly on the lookout for things that
others have created that I like.
Just like my blueberries, I give my paintings away. Never
sell them. I grow my blueberries for the joy I get from…well…growing
blueberries. I paint for me—the stress
relief is immense.
I found a way to exercise every day. It isn’t in me to
miss. I went mountain biking a couple of
times. The stationary bike is there for bad weather. I hit a yoga class or two.
I ran into Meghan Cobble at one of those. She’s the wife of
the new Maryville High Head Football Coach Kenny Cobble. That reminded me of
how proud I am of Kenny, who is truly one of the best men I’ve known. I’m no
longer on the sidelines of MHS football, that ship has sailed, but it still
warms my heart to see a good man in a position to do even more good things.
I enjoyed my time with my wife. A whole week and nary a
cross word. Oh, there was the one time when I though she was talking on the
phone with our daughter and she was really talking to me. She came into the
room and asked if I was “grumpy” because I didn’t answer. We later laughed
about that one.
I cooked burnt ends according to the recipe provided by
Sammy Sweetland. I took down the Christmas decorations. I cleaned up my
asparagus beds. I started a really good book called Theo of Golden, recommended
by my friend Patty Bell. Mundane tasks that I relished by week’s end. I reached
out to a friend in Lanett, Alabama fighting cancer. I hope to go see him soon.
And then I went back to work. Yesterday.
Doing what I consider a privilege to do every day—help people overcome
injury and deal with pain. (And no, I’m
not retiring.)
The bottom line is that nothing I did during this strange
week was monumental. Maybe none of it was memorable. But as we enter this new
year, maybe it’s not the epic trips, the awards and accomplishments that are
important. Maybe it’s OK to slow down and appreciate the little things that
make truly make a life. Happy New Year.
