January -- eight years later

It was at the end of January 2015 that I hung up my ATC headset and retired. A week or so ago another ATC retiree posted all of his many accomplishments and a list of projects, jobs, and stuff he's done in his retirement. My list is pretty short.
I heard that retirees are so busy that it's hard to imagine there was ever time to go to work.
I haven't really experienced that.

I haven't been bored.
I don't miss going to work.
I don't miss doing magic shows for kids' camps.
I don't miss doing kids' camps as camp pastor.
I don't really miss traveling to churches as an itinerant evangelist/revivalist.
And I don't miss the daily interaction with people.

I enjoy my simple (now our simple) retirement.
We have a nice new home that takes a bit of time to care for in the spring and summer.
We get to do a little traveling.
We can afford to eat out often, but also enjoy cooking and eating at home.
Although we have pretty much quit actually going to church, we still get together with a small group of church friends for dinner on a monthly basis and enjoy those friendships.
We do a little bit of volunteer work from time to time and occasionally work with different groups that help in the unsheltered community.
But mostly I sit on the deck, listen to music, read books, and smoke cigars. It's a pretty simple and non-productive life.

Two gifts that I got from a couple of co-workers when I retired were some good cigars and a bomber of a barrel aged stout. Every year, sometime around the end of January, I treat myself to a good smoke and a barrel aged stout. This year it may be the end of February before it's warm enough to sit outside for a couple of hours to enjoy a smoke, but I've got a bottle of 2022 Bourbon County barrel aged stout and a 95 rated CAO Flathead 660 ready for the occasion. It should be a fine pairing!
In case you were wondering - retirement does not suck.

John

Winter in the Ozarks

We didn't get the 10-12 inches of snow that many feared and so rushed to the stores for bread and milk. We did get a measurable amount of snow - around 6" here in Highlandville, MO. Today's high temp will be a few degrees above freezing and I imagine there will be a slight melt before everything refreezes when the temperature drops tonight. 

I'm retired and I don't need to go anywhere, but I should probably get out at some point today and shovel the walkway and the driveway just to feel like I've accomplished something. Of course "should probably" and "will probably" are different things and I may just admire the undisturbed snow in the driveway until I have to go somewhere (tomorrow evening) and disturb it. 
It looks like the daytime highs will be above freezing for the next few days, but by mid-week next week we won't top the freezing mark for several consecutive days. 

I had some good visits at the hospital yesterday as a part of the chaplain service at Mercy Aurora. One thing that is a constant from the patients there are the comments about the excellent care they receive from the nurses. They really do brag on the nurses and how well they care for the patients. 
I was able to sit and talk with several patients yesterday and came away feeling good about having been there. I also had the chance to sit and converse with our lead chaplain. He's an old friend and I really do enjoy the few opportunities that we have to sit and talk for a bit.
I'm glad that was all done before the grey skies and light rain turned to the snow that lasted throughout the night and left us covered with snow today. I am happy to stay home and not mess with the winter mess. In actuality, today isn't going to be much different than any other day in the life of this retired guy - except for maybe that snow shoveling thing.

And while we are ankle-deep in snow, my Aussie family is celebrating Australia Day in their summer heat. Maybe they'll want to trade. Happy Australia Day!

John

View out the back window

Feeling Disconnected -- and it's not a bad thing

I really don't watch much TV, and that includes the news. I primarily get my news from my Twitter feed and the news links I follow there. As I've pulled back from my social media time, I am beginning to feel a little disconnected from the big world. That's not entirely a bad thing. There seems to be enough connection to my small world to occupy my thoughts and time.

I don't want to be entirely oblivious to what's happening in the country or world, but I don't want to be burdened by it either. I'm wondering if there are a handful of Republicans in the House that recognize the idiocy of the party leadership that wants to hold the nation hostage over whether or not we should pay the bills we owe. I'm happy to ignore most of the shitshow that is happening under the divided GOP. The US should not negotiate with terrorist hostage takers, even if it is our own Congress!
I get so damned mad when I think about their self-serving brand of patriotism that I am reminded why I have reduced the time I pay attention to them. I don't want to be uninformed and ignorant, but neither do I want to be engaged with people that are uninformed and ignorant.

The thing that made me aware of my disconnect was someone asking me about the JFK nearmiss that happened on the runway earlier in the week. I hadn't even heard about it and had to look it up when I got home. The most disturbing thing that I read is that such runway incursions (the air traffic term for unauthorized vehicles or aircraft on an active runway) are up by a staggering amount over the past several years. It doesn't seem that the FAA has determined a reason for the rise in incidents, but somebody (either controllers or pilots) isn't paying enough attention to what they are doing.

By the way, I am coming up on the 8th anniversary of my retirement from the air traffic control gig. Another retired controller subtly shamed me for how little I've accomplished in my retirement years - not really. I fully embrace my non-productive retirement life. If others feel the need to be gainfully employed after being forced to retire at a younger age - well, good for them! They can serve on community or organizational boards and committees to their heart's content. They can work as contract controllers or teach ATC at the academy and pad their retirement nesteggs. I'll plant flowers, read books, and smoke cigars.

*****

In other news...
It appears that winter is returning to the Ozarks. After several days of a little warmer weather, it looks like our crisis cold weather shelters will be open for the next few weeks with few to no breaks. If you are in the Springfield area and would like to help, here is a sign up link for the Asbury Shelter where I work. If you include the staff coordinator that is on site and the one that is at the dinner/sign up it takes 16-17 people (more than a dozen volunteers!) each night that we are open. 
I'm sure other shelters have similar needs and sign-up lists. If we're full for a night you are available, let me know and I'll see if I can connect you to one of the other shelters.

Stay warm.
Be well,

John

Books

What are you reading?

Yesterday I finished my fourth book of 2023. The four books were books 5, 6, 7, and 8 of this 9 book series by Chris Culver. 
Yeah, they are good books. I've started the last book and will finish it in a couple of days.

I have two non-fiction books open. They are interesting, but not real compelling reading. I'll keep at them, but expect it to take a while to complete. I have another non'fiction that I'm waiting to begin. It's an actual book - you know, paper and ink - and I think I'll hold off until I can sit outside and enjoy the spring weather while reading. I do most of my reading on the Kindle app on my phone. I use a dark background and lighter letters that seem to be easier on my eyes in any light. When reading a book, I need good light or I need to wear my reading glasses.

I have quite a number of books in my Kindle queue so I'm not really looking for any fiction recommendations. I feel non-fiction books are a more personal choice based on the interests of the reader. If you know me well and have a non-fiction recommendation I am willing to check into it. I'd also consider a good fiction recommendation, but it might be quite a while before I get to it.

So...
What have you got?

John

No More Christmas (and January Progress)

I may be among the last of all people to finally put away all of the Christmas stuff. I guess January 12th is about time! It's a cold and gloomy day in the Ozarks and I'm not planning on leaving the house until it's time to work at the shelter tonight, so today might as well be the day.

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the porch in shorts and a sweatshirt, smoking a cigar and reading a book with temps in the mid 60s (18c). Today and tomorrow's temps will barely get above freezing.
Ugh! That's winter in the Ozarks!
I am so ready for spring!

This is an extremely full week - for me. 
Saturday evening dinner out with friends and listening to other friends' live music.
Sunday night into Monday morning was an overnight at the shelter.
Nothing Monday evening.
Tuesday night was dinner with our small group from church.
Wednesday night dinner with friends, then a Church Council meeting.
Thursday and Friday nights will be cold and I'll be back at the shelter.
By the time Saturday evening rolls around this week I will be ready to quietly enjoy the fights - alone!
Whew! That's a lot of people-ing in a week!

Since we're almost two weeks into 2023, I thought I'd check in on my goal planning/resolution making friends. How are you doing so far?
I don't really have any goals for the year. I think it would be cool to read 100 books this year, but it isn't really a goal and I'm not going to bust my butt trying for it. I'm currently on pace for it as I have finished 3 and am on my fourth and fifth books now.
I am working on moving my fat ass a little more this year and on staying properly hydrated. I've been drinking more water and having to pee much more often, but I guess that's good.
I should have taken advantage of the couple of nice days to work getting the flower beds and garden ready for spring, but I didn't. I am going to take a little different approach to gardening this year. We'll see how that goes as the season gets underway.

How are your 2023 plans shaping up?
Too early to tell?

Ugh!
Just looked out the window.
It's snowing.
Did I mention I'm ready for spring?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

John

Writing rest

I took a break.
It wasn't that I really needed a break from blogging, but I felt like it was right. I did post once at my other blog, Healthy Living (by an unhealthy guy), so that's something. Other than that, I just wasn't really feeling it. 

The news had crap about a six year old deliberately shooting his teacher and the daily shitshow that showed what the next two years in Congress is going to look like. I didn't need to add to the noise of that garbage. I suppose I should have offered something peaceful, caring, wise or encouraging, but I didn't feel that either. 

I have worked a couple of overnights at the shelter since last writing and found that both of the overnight volunteers were there just because they felt it was important to be there. And I have had great volunteers to work with this year! They have all been so willing to do work and so very compassionate towards the guests that come our way. 
It's funny that they act like I'm weird for even asking about why they are there. I mean - I should know, right? I'm there too.
Of course, this year I am not there as a volunteer. This year it's my job.  Other than getting paid, nothing much has changed. People act like I know what I'm doing and I'm in charge, but I don't and I'm not that good at telling people what to do. I am at the shelter more often than when I was a volunteer. The cool thing about being there more often is that I have a chance to get to know people a little better and they talk to me more, maybe even trust me more than in the past.

I will continue to ask people why they volunteer. Two is a pretty small sample size, but I'm pleased that they both felt that serving others is important rather than something like it gives them a sense of purpose or something about what volunteering does for them. I mean - it does feel good and it does give me a sense of purpose and accomplishment, but I'm glad that they feel the primary thing is what it does for others rather than self.

John

Gimme a brake!

Go Automotive is where we take our vehicles for most of our maintenance work. Today I'm here getting new brakes and using their guest wifi to pass the time blogging. If you're in the Ozark area, I'd recommend these guys for anything from oil changes to replacing an engine. According to their sign, they offer three types of service - Good, Cheap, and Fast. You get to pick two.

We've been bringing our vehicles to this family owned and operated business for a number of years. The fact that they are always busy says a lot for how well they service their customers.

*****

I didn't write about my daily Bible reading this morning - not because there wasn't something interesting to write about, but I just didn't feel like figuring out how to best say it. I did consider writing about something else, but I didn't think about it for too long or too hard. 
What I actually thought about is - I'll figure something out while I'm getting my brakes replaced!

So here I am, still wondering what to write about.
There is already plenty about the Republican shit show in the House of Representatives, so I don't need to add to that noise. I don't have any hobbies to cover and I lead a pretty boring, non-productive life.

What would you like to hear about?
I am reluctant to write about the people that use the services provided by our shelter. Perhaps I could share some stuff about the people that volunteer there. They range greatly in age and background. Some are members at one of the participating churches, some attend a different church, and others are not attending church at all.
They probably all have different reasons for why they serve. Maybe I need to investigate that.

I'm going to be a guest on a podcast next week. I'll let you know more (maybe) after I see how it goes.

So...
Any thoughts on future posts?
Let me know in the comments, here or wherever you find my blog.

John

Bible things that make you go, Hmmm...?

One of the things that I am looking for as I read through the gospels are the things that Jesus commands us to do. Towards the end of John's gospel, Jesus says that if we love him, we'll do the things he's told us (commanded us) to do. So I figured to maybe highlight the dos and don'ts as I go along.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5, 6, and 7) there are several do nots and a few dos, but in between those are three things that Jesus just assumes that we are doing. Jesus doesn't command us to give to the poor. Instead he says, "When you give..."
Neither does he tell us to pray, but says, "When you pray..."
And finally, "When you fast..." 

Giving, praying, and fasting were such parts of the culture that there was no need to tell people to do those things. Jesus simply gave instructions on how to do them better or more correctly. 
While regular fasting isn't really a part of western culture today, it still exists as a physically cleansing or purification ritual for much of the world. Jesus doesn't give instructions on how to fast because nobody needed it. They already included fasting as a part of their culture and practice. 

I wonder how he would address these three things if Jesus were to speak to a US crowd today or maybe give a TEDtalk in the western world.
Would he say, "You need to be generous and give..."
                       "You need to pray..."
                       "You need to fast..."
Are these things really necessary for us today or were they just things that were culturally relevant to the people of the time and place?

Hmmm...
I wonder.

John

Weird thoughts on the Bible

I began re-reading the gospels this week and as you might have guessed, I started in Matthew's gospel. His Jesus story begins with the ancestry of Jesus going back to Abraham - 14 generations from Abraham to King David, 14 generations from David until the Babylonian captivity, and 14 more generations to the birth of Jesus. Forty-two generations in all.

I was thinking - How did Matthew (or whoever actually wrote the Gospel According to Matthew) come up with that?

I have a few friends that are pretty deep into the ancestry stuff. I have a few family members that have traced our family history back a few generations. Even with the internet and access to old records, each generation back in time is more difficult to determine based on written records. Going back just a few hundred years is quite a task - today!

Matthew following the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham would be like one of us tracing the genealogy of a friend back to the time of Jesus' birth nearly 2000 years ago!
And without the internet, without a lot of written records, and after the Jewish dispersion of around 70 CE.
That's quite a task!

I suppose once you make it back to King David the rest is pretty easy, but still...

Then I saw this meme yesterday. 
At least it's not complicated, right?

Just weird stuff I think about.

John

Monday Motivation

Especially #1

John

2023: Here We Go!

It's post number 2,500!
I can't believe I've been at this for more than fifteen years. Only a couple of the bloggers that I started following way back then are still posting regularly. Most have moved on to other media or quit publishing content all together. As I have personally evolved over the years, so has Out of My Hat. 

If you've been along for the ride for a long time - Thanks for continuing to read my ramblings and putting up with me. 
If you are relatively new to Out of My Hat - Welcome! I hope you have found a place that touches, stirs, feeds, or disturbs your spirit in such a way that you will come back for more.

I had thought that maybe post number 2,500 would be something special or profound.
It's not. It's just another rant.
I thought that maybe my first post of 2023 - my New Year's Day post - might be something motivating and meaningful.
It's not. It's like any other New year's Day post.

I do plan on changing in 2023, but in the daily growth/be better than yesterday gradual kind of change and not the turn over a new leaf dramatic kind of change. Change comes slowly for me - more like turning a ship at sea than changing directions with a quick U-turn on the motorcycle.

I'm not real big on the whole New Year's resolution thing. I do think that January 1st provides a good time to make an honest assessment of how things are going in life and perhaps, make a few necessary adjustments in habits and practices. The calendar provides pretty regular opportunities for such assessments and adjustments throughout the year.

In fact, each day gives us new opportunities to enhance or change our station in life. Changes are often small, maybe just changes in attitude or perspective - like turning that ship at sea. But it is your day, your story. I know that some days don't feel like you have much to work with, but work with what you have and write a good story. 
Truthfully, I doubt if I venture out of the house to interact with anyone today. Perhaps that is its own type of kindness to others. If I am going to be kind to anyone today, it will have to be through offering some encouragement or something of value through writing on this simple blog.

2022 may have been filled with some significant challenges - but you made it!
You may still find yourself in the midst of some severe struggles - but you are here and still making it.
In fact, you have survived everything life has thrown at you to this point.
Pause.
Take a deep breath,
and be proud of your badass self.

When writing a story, you kind of have to have an ending in mind. Not every story has a happy ending. Maybe your story today is going to be one of those. You already know that it isn't going to end the way you'd really like it to end.
If you are struggling today, let me suggest an ending for today's story. I mean, it is your story and you can do whatever you like, but consider this for a closing line:

"I took everything the day had to offer and I survived. I made it to tomorrow. 
And yes, I was a badass!"

Now, go write today's story!

John