How time flies

joelbear

Yikes, 25 years ago this month I became a regular pioneer for the first time. All in hopes of going to Bethel which I did in May of 25 years ago.

Zounds, thats a long time. Scary to think about actually.

Tick tock. 1978.

Full of enthusiasm for Watchtower doings. Then 1988, wow 15 years ago, I left. I woke up this morning wondering about the path not taken. What if I had stayed in Jacksonville as a witness. What would my life be like now?

But, I took the road I chose and the good times and bad times that came with it and I think I have made out reasonably well. Most people would be envious of my life. Darn it, why can't I just enjoy it.

larc

Morning Joel, nice to see you with us. Well, I am 62, and let me tell you that time goes faster with each passing year. The only advantage I see to this is that it seems like my car loans get paid off faster. I often wondered what would have happened if I had taken a different path. I was qualified to go to Bethel, but married my wife instead. I often wondered how I would have fared at Bethel. Would I still be there or would have I gotten disillusioned in short order - hard to tell.

gumby

Hey Joelbear,

Darn it, why can't I just enjoy it.

You can! Your attitude will determine wheather you enjoy it or not. Get rid of the dye on your brain that spells guilt first, and perhaps you will. Learn to appreciate yourself.Quit putting quarters in your ass kicking machine!

I have come to appreciate the words......".When you smile....the world smiles with you". It is really true. When our mood is good, it seems everyone else's mood is also good. At least it seems that way. If it isn't that way, but it seems that way.........then who gives a crap.....if we're happy.

Have a great weekend bud......... and smile!

Gumby

ugg

hi joelbear,,,,,,i agree with larc,,,,the older you get the faster time goes.... fun to look back and wonder....what if's....also kind of sad,,,,can't change the past,,,can't see the future...guess i will just have to be surprized......hope the best for you also joelbear...

freedom96

Our future is certainly brighter than for most witnesses. Some of them will be tormented wondering if the WTS is the answer, and others will still be going door to door, meetings, etc for the rest of their life. What a sad existance to have so much wrapped up into one thing.

We have already been through the leaving part, and onto the rest of our lives. How exciting is that?

outnfree

<<-- out (blinded by gumby's insightful brilliance! )

JNS2

Ditto, ditto, & ditto. I hope I can REALLY enjoy the years I have left without guilt & doubts hanging around & ruining everything. My little mental image for the last couple days has been of a group of lemmings running like crazy toward the edge & one of them lifts up his head & says to himself.....what the heck?????

JamesThomas

Joel,

You ask why you could not enjoy your life. I ask a similar question some time ago, and this is what I found:

I discovered that I was not enjoying life because I wasn't present with it. My body was here but my attention was elsewhere; lost in thoughts about the past, or fantasy about the future; or lost in random mumblings and judgments and commentaries.

Basically, Joel, I was not here to enjoy what the universe was presenting to me in the moment to enjoy. When I am just present and attentive to life, without thinking about it. There is often joy in the simplest of things.

There is a book "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, that helped guide me back to the moment, that ungraspable point where life flows and unfolds. Of course the book is not magic, but when I applied what was said to my life, it was like magic.

You know what they say "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

JamesT

DannyBear

James,

*** My body was here but my attention was elsewhere; lost in thoughts about the past, or fantasy about the future; or lost in random mumblings and judgments and commentaries. ***

I like that. It does depict what most all of us do. Especially the "random mumblings and judgments and commentaries".......aint we got alot of those!

I have to work on cleaning out my garage today, so Iam going to keep this most excellent advice in mind, as I mumble about what pain in the ass this job is.

Who knows I may stumble across a long lost treasure, that will in fact make the exercise worth every bit of the moment in time.

Danny

Kenneson

Joelbear,

It's good to hear from you again. Let go, and enjoy your life. One minute at a time.

How time flies

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