Feb. 3 -1997
"The years how quickly they pass. The days how swiftly they are. Swift as an Indian's arrow. Fly on like a shooting star." These words are attributed to Abraham Lincoln and they seem appropriate. I attended a military funeral today. This is a ritual which the Veterans of Foreign Wars carries out at the request of a deceased veterans family. It is a very moving ceremony done in a military manner. At the close, the flag of the United States of America is removed from the casket and given to a surviving close relative. This was by no means the first one that I played a part in; however as I sat there my mind began to wander. How distant the past!! How near the future!! As we review the past, the struggles - the dreams born of youth. Oh, how the spirit soared and the whole world lay ahead. There were distant lands that must be seen - deeds that must be done. Some might add, new worlds to conquer. But, no. Mine was never a competitive spirit. Within us all, perhaps buried beneath the mundane events of the day, is a driving force. It points to afar off beacon, a destination if you will. Oh, the pitfalls, the often lonely journey, across the mountain tops and the descent into the valleys and then comes the seemingly final blow. We come to a river so wide, so deep and with a current so swift that it seems that one must abandon the goal. What now - must the goal be abandoned. Many do dear reader, many do. Will you not pause and consider. Does the victory always go to the strong? Is the race always won by the fleetest? Perhaps. Does the plodder finally succeed? Who can say? At this point the words of Winston Churchill seem to apply. He toured the United States after World War II. He was invited to address the student body of a university. The revered leader was raised up in the United Kingdom during those dark days of what appeared to be a dying kingdom. He stood up, looked in to the faces of a generation who were about to go out into the world and he delivered his address. I quote it verbatim. Never surrender. Never surrender. Never surrender. Then he sat down. Were I to analyze my thoughts this morning it seems apparent that I did not follow the great mans advice. Fifty long years have sped by and by all the wisdom of the sages of old down to the present, the course is about to be completed. The end is fast approaching. Were I to review the past and compare the dreams of bygone days with the reality that is similar to the footprints on the sands of time, would I be pleased? No! Oh no! I must not do so. To do so could very well lead to the seed of despair. Many take that route and find themselves wallowing in the slough of despond and there they may very well decide to play God and end it all. Rather it is for us, the living, to go on, dedicated to the task remaining before us. And what is the task? I do not know. From the perspective of many years of living it seems apparent that goals often change and I am fully persuaded that God intended it to be so.
Did those dreams of long ago serve a useful purpose. Indeed yes. I believe they did. Why would any one labor on to a goal of futility. We need not surrender hut perhaps the road to victory calls for us to alter the battle plan. No, never will I allow my spirit to sink. I face the future with a better understanding of the limitations that we all have. I was but given a fleeting glimpse of an opportunity. This is not the time to disclose the facts. We shall await the outcome with courage.