One Article At A Time
PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND
December 11, 2024
ONE ARTICLE AT A TIME
When I started writing my musings fall of 2003, I thought I might continue them until I turned seventy. My original goal represented writing almost four hundred articles. I was not sure I would be able to come up with that many ideas.
My musings have been guided by two principles. The first comes from Robert D. Putnam’s book Bowling Alone. It is Putnam’s thesis that the health of a community is directly related to its Social Capital, “the connection among individuals – social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.” (Bowling Alone, p. 19) It was my intention to write about illustrations of how a community might increase its Social Capital.
The media is filled with negative illustrations. It is not hard to find fault. More difficult is to find positive illustrations of a point one is trying to make. Don LaSuer, a United Methodist pastor, operated on the principle that is was easier to effect behavior change by applauding good behavior rather than by criticizing bad behavior.
Since I have been writing these musings it has always been my goal to applaud good behavior rather than criticize bad. Sometimes this has not been easy. A few articles have come close to passing over to the dark side.
Back in the fall of 2003 my 70th birthday seemed such a long way off. Today’s article is my 378th musing. Yes, I have reached the age of seventy. The last eight years have flown by.
So how much longer am I going to write this column? My original target had me ending them now. Somehow that does not feel right. How many ideas do I have left?
One of my partners on the musing page of the Plymouth Pilot News, Freemont Books, is in his nineties. Can I make it another twenty years? Where am I going to come up with over a thousand new ideas?
When I step back and take a second look at my situation, it is really not much different than it was when I started writing these musings. All I have to worry about is next week’s article. It is true when I first started I had the germ of enough ideas to cover a couple of months. Even now sometimes I find myself a couple of weeks ahead. Still the concern is next week’s article, not one I might be writing in one year or five years or even ten years.
As I have pointed out several times, the Book of Ecclesiastes was written for the end of life when things begin to fail. The author sees each day as a gift from God to be enjoyed and cherished. The viewpoint suggests the good advice of living one day at a time.
I am not sure how much longer I will be writing my musings. It may be twenty years, ten years, or perhaps just another year. All I really have to worry about is the next article.
In life there is a place for long term planning. The first of the month when I receive my two pension checks I am reminded of its importance. Never-the-less, what may have greater significance is the next item on the agenda. If it is addressed, somehow all those that follow will take care of themselves (Matthew 6:34).
Have to think of something to write about next week. Any ideas?
(This article was originally published December 11, 2011. Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)