I used to be able to depend on others for steering me right. They were always eager to tell me whether I was correct or deluded in how I conduct my life. Most of those whom I have leaned on so heavily in these later years have either confused me or died. I am sadly on my own to understand for what purpose I have been placed on this spinning ball of perpetual confusion. This is what happens to people who live too long and wonder what happens next.

I came up with a few ideas on my own, listed below, and following no formula, about how I might best live the rest of my life, if I am left alone to live without unsolicited coaching and condemnation. I am, however, grateful and accepting of others who are so willing and eager to help shape my earth-bound--and perhaps eternal--destiny. I will always find room at my inn for them to come stay and give birth to new life.

First, I thought I might best be served by listening primarily to my own heart and conscience, rather than parading it around back stage and waiting to introduce it for display before a live audience at some late act in life. The plans of others for the particularities of my soul seem often to go completely against my innate spiritual logic, or else the unrefined plans seem to purposely alienate me. It's a tough little challenge, finding out what's inside of me and sorting it out from what everybody else has put inside of me without telling me what they were doing, and me not knowing precisely what ingredients they have been adding to me. There are some traditional methods and some ancient wisdom that I expect will help me find the path to myself, to who I am, to that other person secretly living inside of me who is always borrowing my mind and my breath to see and feel the world, and who wants to do the right thing before he gives up the ghost and flies toward new and very high levels of golden-feathered living.

Second, I thought it might be nice to do some housekeeping. Get a mop, dust pan, vacuum cleaner, but, chiefly in this endeavor, to not hire a maid or any other person to be in charge of this cleaning operation. A maid would sweep and scrub and leave my indoors anew, but I would lose inventory on what I was missing. The chances would be pretty good that I would bring back what a maid, in her dismay, may have hauled away. On my own I would count the things I need and the things with which I might most easily depart, and then go forth with the decision to depart from those old philosophies, those antiquated, muddy ruts of thinking, and concrete judgments I always considered justified and righteous. I might need an over-sized cargo truck to dump my life-long collection of worthless soul items, but what was left that might be of any value I might then more easily treasure.

Third, learn to open my senses to the world, all the seven holes in my head, and give consideration to the thoughts that those sensory inputs might stir inside of me. I might find myself full of a ridiculous amount of logical abstractions, conundrums, and loquacious perturbations that continuously echo inside of me, which never allow me quietude, nor firm resolve. Gosh, maybe my whole life has been one big game of dodge ball, the dodging being spurred on by me attempting to flee from the admonitions and recommendations of those busy-body helpers about me.

Fourth, sit still on my back porch, do nothing, and try to not frighten the little creatures that want to come visit me in the dawns and the dusks of the ever-changing seasons of the forest. They fly, walk, crawl, and hop, coming close to me to fill me with delight and joy. They carry with them a huge amount of responsibility in their tasks. Maybe they even desire for me to continue living and being happy. Much can be said for doing absolutely nothing. I didn't realize this until after I had retired. Just think! God has been on a long seventh day of rest ever since he spent six days creating creation. Besides, I've heard tons of radio and TV commercials lately for mattresses. Some of us have got to get busy and use up all that mattress time in order to help promote the business of resting!