There is an old Chinese story I heard years ago. The Yellow River is a very powerful river. Trying to cross it, many Chinese people were swept out into the Sea and died. In time they learned a strategy that saved countless lives.
Part of the way across the river there was an island they could easily see. They sailed toward that island even though they were actually sailing a bit toward the sea. When they got close enough to the Island they could see a mountain across the river. They sailed toward the mountain. In time they would see a extremely tall tree on the opposite shore so then they sailed toward toward the tall tree. When they got near enough to the tree they could see the dock and sailed toward it’s safety
As I lived my life it all seemed so unstructured and full of happenstance. I muddled my way along as the years passed. My only goal was to get healthier spiritually and emotionally and to be better able to love people in my life especially my family. I finally ended up here, a grateful old man.
Looking back over my life from here it seems to me that my life was like a brilliant plot in some masterfully organized novel.
As I lived my life I could not see that if I had tried to aim for happiness I would not have gotten there and I would not have gotten here sitting at my computer. The Universe took me on a very twisty road that often was very painful and often frustrating but I ended up here writing to you which is so fulfilling to me.
My program verbalized something for me. It said always meet life on life’s terms. Also there is another thing I have learned. The good thing about being an American is that you are never more than 20 feet from a trash can. If all this makes no sense to you that is fine with me. Look around and you will see a fine place to throw it.
George Caywood 