The Dance

Growth, the process that, ideally, broadens my horizons, views and, unfortunately other parts, as I age.

Right now the emphasis seems to be on relationships. It's always been that way, but it becomes more evident here where the colorful creature I live with has a never ending series of visitors.

I am imagining that great choreographer up in the sky sitting back, chuckling as he watches this dance unfolding.

First there was Motorcycle Mike, that guy who zoomed into her life long ago, whisked her off to Colorado and married her only to discover he had inadvertently hitched himself to the old woman in the shoe and her days of feeding and spanking all those children were far from over. In the end, or what they perceived as the end back then, he found it necessary to distance himself from all the children and money going in and out of his door.

Later on the Great Gray Leprechaun appeared. A spry little guy with energy to spare, a penchant for digging holes and a need to share his wealth with ultra-needy people that made them perfect for each other -- for a while.

Finally, along came Wally, the man who can fix, or build, anything, including relationships. A realist with quiet expectations, he is content to bide his time, sharing the occasional meal or trip with whoever is being pleasant in the moment.

All three continue to circle our house, allowing me the opportunity to discover my own faults and foibles as they move in and out of my space on this stage. All of us coming and going in intricate little patterns that define who we are and none of us are children. Each one has had many years to develop the skills and experience necessary to do the finagling, controlling and micro managing that make our lives what they are.

I have the advantage of the best perspective since I am close to the hub here, but perspective is never as clear as I might hope when it comes to myself. Like my nephew, when he tried to take his picture in the mirror, I find myself blinded by the light of my own making sometimes and lost in the shadows other times.

I hear the music building to a climax, but I suspect we still have years to go. In the meantime, the story unfolds, a rich, sometimes comical drama of three men and a woman enfolded in living out their golden years on the undulating prairies of central Illinois.