Wednesday, October 08, 2008

My Future Security

I love the early morning quietness that fills my home as my body awakens and my mind is serene.

I also love it when one of my favorite rock and roll songs plays on the radio as I drive from my wife's office to mine. This morning it was "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers Band. It took me back to a time when I literally sat at the feet of the man who wrote the song. I had an out of body experience as he dazzled me with his guitar virtuosity. I was in heaven.

My favorite Zen koan from last nights Presidential debate was "What is it that you don't know and how are you going to learn it"?

Yesterday it was unusually cool in the office so I took my lunch outside and sat alone in the sun. It was a beautiful day. I quietly ate my sandwich while enjoying the warm sunlight and the cool breezes. It was very enjoyable and I could have sat there all afternoon. Eventually, reality jerked me out of my Zen daze and I came back upstairs. That wasn't so bad. I was having a quiet day and the rest of the afternoon was uneventful as well. I spent part of the afternoon listening to a live seminar on the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. It blows my mind that words written thousands of years ago are so applicable to events of today.

On Monday, after the stock market dropped another 800 points, I told a friend I was going down to the first floor of my office and jumping out the window. I was joking, of course, but since all of this financial mess in the United States began earlier in the year my 401K has lost about 21% of it's value. It's a substantial amount of money. Retirement was not in my immediate future anyway unless Human Resources knows something I don't know. However, like most people I would like to retire someday from the need to work so I can spend my time in voluntary work and other pursuits. It would also be nice to just do nothing if that's what I wanted to do. Am I worried about the future? Not really. I try to live my life without regrets about the past and without worry about the future. I don't think 401K's are without merit and in general it is wise to prepare something for the future. However, one shouldn't put all their efforts into preparing for a future you may never have. With all due respect to faith and spiritual beliefs, we live in the Now. Sometimes I wonder why people of faith feel the need to prepare materially for the future. Do we have doubts that our needs will be met? Honestly, in good times and bad, I have always survived and my needs have always been met one way or another. Was I just lucky? I can't change any of the decisions I have made in the past although I hope I have learned from many of my mistakes. I also don't believe one should rob the present to prepare for a future that is not promised to any of us. The future is totally unknown so what are we preparing for? Some of you may think I have a fatalistic "let's eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may be dead" mentality. This is not true. I try to live in the present, and enjoy it for all it's worth, but I also have hope that the Now in which I am living lasts a very long time. I will continue to work and I will continue to save but as long as I have what I need for today...which is nothing more than the eternal NOW...I will be happy and content. So far, in my experience, life takes care of itself and it has taken care of me. It just doesn't always do it according to my plans.

No comments: