A Trip to Serendipity

My Place At the Table

I have come to a crossroads.  Should I go straight or turn . .

I had an image in my mind that when I retired I was going to sport a vintage glass of wine and sit at an old, well-used table at a café in the Treizième Arrondissement of Paris.  I would flirt with the young, chic set and imagine what might have been or, hopefully, what might yet be.

I am somewhat chagrined to say that I retired about ten years ago, and I continue to sit here in front of a computer taking care of business that has to be done and exercising like crazy so I can have more years  . . to take care of business that, also, has to be done.  But, in my imagination I am strolling through the Place de Voges considering the statue of Louis Quatorze, like so many before me and like so many who will come after me.

Somewhere in here I was going to go back to Hawaii and take care of business, the family, the beautiful mountains and parks.  But, Hawaii now belongs to others who are doing all of those things for me, or, certainly, better than I could have ever done them.

California is a beautiful place with mountains and valleys with an occasional lake provided so that school kids can see what a lake looks like.  We are lucky to have a big beautiful lake here.  Although, I did notice that the level of the water is dropping and despite a much hoped-for respite last year, it has continued to dissipate.

So what is there for a race horse once the pasture is achieved?  And, running around the pasture is not enough?

Maybe, that’s what I will ponder when I get to my seat at the table with my glass of wine in Paris.