After a long evening of contemplating what options are available in my life, I awoke to new snowfall up here in these mountains. There is something serene in seeing the pines white and still, realizing the rock bluffs are not watching fuel prices spike upward as the world seems to become more crazy every day. This place is not one of calendars or appointments, rather, it's of seasons. In the greater part of my past life, everything just had to be finished yesterday. Now, all things are finished eventually. I could scurry around chasing thoughts, but if those ideas are not part of God's plan, I will only be running in circles. Gained wisdom brings with it a tenfold increase in patience, time that once was fought now is appreciated, as without the time to actually see the beauty of this place, one could never learn to take the time to see anything at all.

Years ago, I would ride my Harley-Davidson on a big highway to work, and once the day was finished, I'd ride home on a different route so I could go through Valley Forge National Park. I'd often stop to look at the huge trees there. On weekends, I'd ride to a motorcycle club out in the country, the clubhouse was in a beautiful location, especially during the fall when the leaves would be in vibrant colors. That was 25 years ago and I am not only still a member of that club, but I still miss that place and those people. While riding through North Carolina one summer, I stopped at a tiny local cafe for lunch. This was back before doctors and attorneys rode Harleys, so I was not always welcome everywhere. On that day, though, I enjoyed outstanding fried chicken and great conversations with the people there about their state and its history. From getting caught in thunderstorms to riding in the snow, every day was an adventure. I was young but knew how to see.

Somewhere through time, I lost that ability. Insignificant things became more important than just living, what I was doing became greater than what God had placed all around me. When vanity overtakes giving thanks for what is greater than the self, it's no wonder that blindness is the result. Can anyone really buy the ability to look out off of the Blue Ridge Parkway into the valleys below, knowing that the view is there not for profit, but for understanding that God created it? Modern marketing, the advertising of useless things that supposedly would bring happiness through ownership, closed my eyes to just reading my Bible and riding a big V-twin motorcycle. It has been a journey of over 20 years to learn what I once knew. Now I have my Bible and a Harley-Davidson and not much else, but those are more than enough possessions. I look forward to each day, holding the promise of new sights and new friendships.

Whatever life holds, it should be lived, not overlooked.