Back on the hillside ...


Every summer solstice (or around the solstice if something got in the way), since 2007, I've come to a hillside at Donner Park to watch the gorgeous sunset, listen to "Sister Golden Hair" by America, and write about the year that just passed. I got here tonight to find ... sprinklers running! I found a bench, but it was underneath a blooming tree and the bumblebees were loud and ominous. I found a dry spot on the hillside ... but now I'm suddenly paranoid about rattlesnakes (they have been low on the mountain benches this summer). So I might skip America on headphones and just play it on my computer as I type.

Last year I lamented how the previous year had been a blur. Compared with this last year, that complaint was nothing, because it's gone beyond blur to whirlwind. The last five years have been the fastest of my life, and there's nothing I can do to slow it down. I made it through another year, and it was a good year, watching the boys grow, being relatively happy at work, and overall having fun. Some of the long-term goals are still in progress/not progressing/on hold, but I shouldn't complain when other things are good.

But I'm 47 now, and I want to really get my s--t together before I turn 50. That means getting in shape, getting the house in order, writing everything I've wanted to write, and not wasting time on meaningless endeavors or on getting stressed out. If I wait until I'm 49, it will be a mad dash to finish. So I start now. Blogging, fiction writing (and I've had a great idea I've thought through for a year ... but a year has passed and I haven't started), getting back under 200 pounds, and setting my self up for the next decade. The plan is there, waiting. Why wait until I'm 49 1/2 to start?

The sun is hovering above Antelope Island, ready to drop into the night. Summer has been nice so far, and there's a lot left. I love writing this post every year. I should come out here more often to write, or to other inspiring spots nearby. And not just to write, but to plan for the now.

The sunset is now gone. Tomorrow, there will be another. And next solstice, there will be another.

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