As I begin my 60th year, I continue to contemplate how to make the most of my little life. I am reminded of the great old book i picked up at a yard sale many years ago, "the aim of life" by philip moxom. In this wonderful book of advice to young people, written in 1893, he includes chapters on... the aim of life....character....habit....charity....companionship and others. If I continue to be anywhere near as lucky as i have been in life so far, then I imagine i may have another 20-40 years to enjoy this amazing world and the journey of life. I hope to keep Moxom's ideas, along with others, as a guide, as a reminder, as a source of inspiration for today and the days ahead.
This blog will serve as a reminder to me that i should keep trying to do difficult things - to keep my mind and body and spirit challenged....so that i keep enjoying the world and doing my best to change the world in good little ways. "sixtyoversixty" is an idea...reaching for sixty new challenges in different aspects of my life as i continue in my sixtieth year and beyond. The first of these big challenges is climbing Mt. Denali this summer, the highest mountain in North America. It will be my most challenging climb so far, having climbed the highest mountain on each of the continents of Africa, Europe and South America since my 50th birthday. This will be a long and difficult slog! A very cold and unforgiving mountain, carrying 70lbs on my back and dragging another 60lbs on a sled for 20+ days. I have been preparing my body and mind as best i can and am very much looking forward to the adventure. I will use this climb to raise money to support the higher education dreams of kids in my community who have the initiative and the desire to succeed but need a little help and coaching along the way.
Today (April 18, 2013) is both the 11th anniversary of my daughter Grace dying and my daughter Annabelle's 9th birthday. A really emotional day, but also one that reminds me of the nature of life and living - that our journeys are a big mix of joys and sorrows, successes and setbacks, good luck and bad luck, opportunities and risks. I am also reminded today that i have this one big opportunity to have a life and, as my friend Rebecca says, "enjoy the world and change the world".
Blogging is new to me - this is my first clumsy attempt - I will throw stuff out there with hopes that it will be helpful to someone in some way. In any case, i suspect it will be a fun and helpful experiment for me.
