PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

February 28, 2024

REINVENTING THEMSELVES

Keith Miller was the starting fullback for the University of Colorado’s football team.  Following college Keith played for a number of years for the European and Arena Football leagues, hoping one day to play for the NFL.

Something happened along his career path for earlier this year he made his debut with the Washington National Opera playing the role of Bonze in “Madama Butterfly.”  His transformation from a professional football player to a professional bass-baritone began when he took his girlfriend to see “The Phantom of the Opera” on his birthday.

In an interview with Neal Conan on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” (March 2, 2011), Keith commented: “If you ever think that you have arrived, then you should realize that what you’re arrived at is the beginning.  And you know, you need to understand that if you’re doing anything the right way, whether it’s parenting, being in a relationship, music, finance, football, that it’s just a continuing process of how can I get better, how can I be the best that I can be.”

The general theme for the NPR program on which Keith Miller appeared was people who made the decision to reinvent themselves.  Keith came to the realization that his days as a football player were limited.  For the long haul he needed to find something else to do if he wanted to continue to reach his potential.  His love of opera and having a good voice provided him with a way to continue to grow and develop well into his 50’s, when most bass-baritones reach their peak.

A person in the Old Testament who reinvented himself at least four or five times was Moses.  His first reinvention was due to his mother who placed him in a basket in the reeds near the river to try to prevent his being killed.  As a result of this reinvention he grew up in the palace of the Pharaoh of Egypt, leading a privileged life.

His second reinvention came when he had to flee the country because of killing an Egyptian.  His life now took a new direction.  Moses became a shepherd who was skilled in the life of being a nomad.

As a result of God’s intervention, Moses left the nomadic life to become the liberator of the Hebrew people.  His new reinvention pitted him against the very people with whom he had grown up.

Following the Exodus from Egypt Moses moved from a liberator to a leader.  He now was faced with the responsibility of how to get the Hebrew people to the Promised Land.  Of all his various roles this was perhaps the most difficult, calling on all the skills he had learned in the others to accomplish the task.

A destination that most people have is to retire.  It is seen as the end of a long journey.  In fact, it is just the beginning of new adventures.  Retirement opens the possibility for a person to reinvent themselves.  Gone are the demands of work and having to make a living; open are infinite possibilities of how one might use their time and resources.

Several of the persons who called into the “Talk of The Nation” said that they were forced to reinvent themselves because of circumstances.  Life forced them to make a change.  Others chose to make a change because they felt a calling to do something else.  All were happy with their decisions.

Next week, I will be sharing with you one of the small ways that I have reinvented myself just this year.  I wait in anticipation what others may lay ahead.  Reinventing oneself seems to be the stuff of life.

Let me know how you have reinvented yourself.

(This article was originally published March 30, 2011.  Send comments to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)