Have you ever wondered how columnists find the time to write? They don’t! At least it feels that way. When I began writing my column, I wrote a bunch of them. “I’ll never get behind,” was my thought. Once again I find myself trying to block time to do the same. It doesn’t work that way.
I write when I feel like it. Some people think writing is a chore, but for me at least, it’s a break from the regular work. Often when I’m putting the paper together, I’ll get thinking about whatever it is I’m working on. And then I start writing.
It seems every week, I’m reading the outdoors column and it has to do with Dick Herfindahl writing from the cabin or Al Batt writing about his excursions into nature, and it makes me wonder if I would actually take a break and write while in those situations. Bob Hanson always writes about his travels and I find it exciting. I feel like I would just wait until I got home.
One of the pleasures of living in a small town is the atmosphere. It’s hard to go somewhere and not know someone. I walked into the the Red Leaf and there was Sharon, my old lunch lady friend (not old in age, but friendship) and her husband. I love talking about whatever comes up. Often it’s completely random and it happens quite frequently in town. It seems every week I run into Sharon or someone else and we strike up a conversation. I have to mention a couple such encounters from the last couple weeks.
I would first like to thank Sharon and her husband (and apologize if I spell your names incorrectly). You two made my day last week. You two gave me some really nice compliments and it was really uplifting to hear. Often people only hear the negatives and that can drown out all the good things in this world. The other conversation I had on a different day involved a very Rud man. The week prior I ran into one my old teachers, Mr. Rud.
“I think you’ve really found your calling,” Mr. Rud told me.
“And what is that, umpiring, coaching, or the newspaper?” I think I startled him. I honestly had no idea which part he was talking about. I write about my life every week, and well, I always know who reads every week.
“The newspaper. You do a really nice column every week,” Rud said. Every time someone tells me they read my column it makes my day. Mr. Rud was my driving instructor and former music teacher in elementary school. He retired at the end of the last year my class would take his class. Mr. Rud was always one of my favorite teachers. I remember the “name that tune” game and one time specifically when no one could name the tune and finally the answer came to me. “Eli’s Coming!”
“Who is the artist?” Mr. Rud questioned?
“Three Dog Night!” The only reason I knew it was because Mr. Rud would always quiz me. It was an almost daily occurence.
My time with Rud was not done after he retired. He still taught driver’s ed! Of course when I had the opportunity to sign up for behind the wheel training with him, I jumped at the chance. I remember many important lessons from our time together, but one lesson more specifically than others. Stop and take a minute just to experience the moment. He would stop us in the middle of the road to say something completely unrelated to driving. It never failed. He always had a story about whatever we were doing or about the Twins game the night before.
I don’t know how many people have memorable moments from driver’s ed, but mine were plentiful. I usually try to make the most of everything in life, to find a way to enjoy whatever I am doing. There are certain exceptions of course, but with that I will leave you with my thought for the day: stop and remember that in all of the chaos and the noise that you can always find a minute to pause and remember the good things in life and enjoy the good times.