I don’t always read blog links I get in my emails. When I part-time retired in 2019 and that became full time retirement in 2023…. I felt a loss and wondered about new purpose and mission a lot. So, I started reading your blog to identify a bit. Then as I read about more loss and people around us, and saw Randy (and me) mentioned…. The loss of him hit me even more. We really had found a purpose to our travels in sharing photos and stories of places and music. Maybe I didn’t recognize that enough. And now I feel adrift even more…. Gone is who I was in my career, yes. But now also half of me is gone. When two become one: I honestly rarely gave much thought to what it would be like when “we became me”. I think about our RMGH Adventures website that we started with our 2006 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and now I’m missing the RM. I have no idea what’s next….but it’s definitely a time for reflection.
Hey, it’s nice to hear from you and I’m so sorry about Randy. I just wish I had got to know him earlier. You’re always welcome if you want to get away to just come up and bring the RV and hook up. We’ve got power and water up here and you’re sort of out in the middle of nowhere.
If there’s anything I can do to support you in this transition, let me know. We’re not that far apart.
I so appreciate the transparency in your writing, it is the encouragement we all need most! It is so hard to untangle the impossible knot of what we do= our worth to society. It is thrown at us from birth. The book, You Are Special by Max Lucado illustrates this so well. The endless mind war we are all in reminds me of the story " The Tale of Two Wolves."
The Tale Of Two Wolves
ONE EVENING, AN ELDERLY
CHEROKEE BRAVE TOLD HIS
GRANDSON ABOUT A BATTLE THAT
GOES ON INSIDE PEOPLE.
HE SAID “MY SON, THE BATTLE IS
BETWEEN TWO ‘WOLVES’ INSIDE US ALL.
ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER,
ENVY, JEALOUSY, SORROW,
REGRET, GREED, ARROGANCE,
SELF-PITY, GUILT, RESENTMENT,
INFERIORITY, LIES, FALSE PRIDE,
SUPERIORITY, AND EGO.
THE OTHER IS GOOD.
IT IS JOY, PEACE LOVE, HOPE SERENITY,
HUMILITY, KINDNESS, BENEVOLENCE,
EMPATHY, GENEROSITY,
TRUTH, COMPASSION AND FAITH.”
THE GRANDSON THOUGH ABOUT
IT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN ASKED
HIS GRANDFATHER:
“WHICH WOLF WINS?…”
THE OLD CHEROKEE SIMPLY REPLIED,
“THE ONE THAT YOU FEED”
You are so valuable just by being YOU- you just don't see what we see:)
Very sad to hear about Randy the other day.... and Bill was a great friend back in the days at Cedarbrook and playing softball... He was an awesome guy, too!
Mack this is intense and I can feel what you're going through. I know you're not alone because I have been part of a mastermind group of men who discuss these very topics and are going through similar issues.... Hope you don't mind if I share your story with them ...
Also, please get Audible and download or purchase a hard copy of this book called "From Strength to Strength" by Arthur Brooks... He understands this phase of life like nobody else!
Yes, please share it. If it helps somebody that’s good! Thanks for the recommendation. I just downloaded the book. I’m gonna start reading it today. Thank you so much for your support Steve. I appreciate you! And for what you’ve done helping me get my mom in a better place.
I don’t always read blog links I get in my emails. When I part-time retired in 2019 and that became full time retirement in 2023…. I felt a loss and wondered about new purpose and mission a lot. So, I started reading your blog to identify a bit. Then as I read about more loss and people around us, and saw Randy (and me) mentioned…. The loss of him hit me even more. We really had found a purpose to our travels in sharing photos and stories of places and music. Maybe I didn’t recognize that enough. And now I feel adrift even more…. Gone is who I was in my career, yes. But now also half of me is gone. When two become one: I honestly rarely gave much thought to what it would be like when “we became me”. I think about our RMGH Adventures website that we started with our 2006 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and now I’m missing the RM. I have no idea what’s next….but it’s definitely a time for reflection.
Hey, it’s nice to hear from you and I’m so sorry about Randy. I just wish I had got to know him earlier. You’re always welcome if you want to get away to just come up and bring the RV and hook up. We’ve got power and water up here and you’re sort of out in the middle of nowhere.
If there’s anything I can do to support you in this transition, let me know. We’re not that far apart.
I so appreciate the transparency in your writing, it is the encouragement we all need most! It is so hard to untangle the impossible knot of what we do= our worth to society. It is thrown at us from birth. The book, You Are Special by Max Lucado illustrates this so well. The endless mind war we are all in reminds me of the story " The Tale of Two Wolves."
The Tale Of Two Wolves
ONE EVENING, AN ELDERLY
CHEROKEE BRAVE TOLD HIS
GRANDSON ABOUT A BATTLE THAT
GOES ON INSIDE PEOPLE.
HE SAID “MY SON, THE BATTLE IS
BETWEEN TWO ‘WOLVES’ INSIDE US ALL.
ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER,
ENVY, JEALOUSY, SORROW,
REGRET, GREED, ARROGANCE,
SELF-PITY, GUILT, RESENTMENT,
INFERIORITY, LIES, FALSE PRIDE,
SUPERIORITY, AND EGO.
THE OTHER IS GOOD.
IT IS JOY, PEACE LOVE, HOPE SERENITY,
HUMILITY, KINDNESS, BENEVOLENCE,
EMPATHY, GENEROSITY,
TRUTH, COMPASSION AND FAITH.”
THE GRANDSON THOUGH ABOUT
IT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN ASKED
HIS GRANDFATHER:
“WHICH WOLF WINS?…”
THE OLD CHEROKEE SIMPLY REPLIED,
“THE ONE THAT YOU FEED”
You are so valuable just by being YOU- you just don't see what we see:)
Thanks, princess! This means so much. I love you!
You were a bit quiet yesterday. Now I see why.
My retirement party was held 'virtually'
It sucked. I cried.
So glad you are in my art tribe.
(p.s. you are being too hard on yourself.)
Was it in 2020? That would suck. I’m sorry to hear that. I appreciate that though. I will be nicer to myself. I appreciate you!
Very sad to hear about Randy the other day.... and Bill was a great friend back in the days at Cedarbrook and playing softball... He was an awesome guy, too!
Yeah, I didn’t really know him that well at Cedarbrook, but once him and Georgia came over it was really fun getting to know him. It was really sad.
Mack this is intense and I can feel what you're going through. I know you're not alone because I have been part of a mastermind group of men who discuss these very topics and are going through similar issues.... Hope you don't mind if I share your story with them ...
Also, please get Audible and download or purchase a hard copy of this book called "From Strength to Strength" by Arthur Brooks... He understands this phase of life like nobody else!
Yes, please share it. If it helps somebody that’s good! Thanks for the recommendation. I just downloaded the book. I’m gonna start reading it today. Thank you so much for your support Steve. I appreciate you! And for what you’ve done helping me get my mom in a better place.
You might find this podcast helpful, Mack
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-edge-leadership-self-mastery-and/id1612124001?i=1000746190211