When I looked at the photograph that my dad took of me for this blog, it has the wonderful appearance of a time of days long ago. No, the hair is not by accident. My life, when not working, is consumed with researching and teaching history through reenactments and living histories.
As I visit my family, I am reminded of time that has passed. Time spent rushing to graduate and get a job. Life spent rushing through a career to get to retirement. As I get older, I am gaining a greater appreciation for the benefits of slowing down and enjoying the now.
As you see me sitting in Dad's old chair, I am reflecting on the day of going from cemetery to cemetery, visiting small Nebraska cemeteries that contain a number of Civil War soldiers, both north and south. I was surprised to learn today that there are at least 22 Confederate soldiers buried across the State of Nebraska. Confederate soldiers buried nearby more numerous Union soldiers.
As time has a present and a past, time also has a future. I received great news, the kind of news that parents always like to get. Their children are employed. Well, my older daughter let us know tonight that, upon graduation with her doctorate in Latin American history from Indiana, she will be gainfully employed as a professor at Southern Connecticut University. Now I have a place to spend my falls and springs when I retire.
Jon
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