Life

Cornstalk Solitude

Jeanna GLeave a comment

We’d been in a drought, and then we were inundated with storms. Ain’t that the way?!

The grass wasn’t growing and then, all of a sudden, it was up to mid-shin. 

So I finally got “a round tuit,” and mowed. 

And when I was done, I stood with my hands on my hips, sweating, and admiring my work, when I noticed one single, footlong blade of grass, proud as the day is long, standing straight up in the middle of my yard. It survived. 

My childhood church had a corn field next to it. I went to youth group one night in high school, and our youth pastor said we would finish our night with devotions outside. Unphased, we followed him to the middle of the field where we found one single cornstalk still standing after the harvest. We sat in a circle around the stalk and stared at it for a bit before chatting about it. 

What could this single remaining cornstalk tell us about life? 

Someone said it was the corn’s attempt at controlling its own destiny; it didn’t want to be like all the other corn by leaving home and becoming something else. 

Then someone countered, “It’s sad that it got left behind, never to see the world and reach its full potential. It actually wanted to live in community and contribute to society.”

The questions abounded: Did it see itself as a survivor? Did it beat the farmer only to find the success didn’t really matter? Or was it a symbol of resilience? Or of faith that all would be okay? Would it see itself as a wise old soul, there to oversee the next generation?

And then I raised my hand and offered, “Maybe it’s just happy to finally have some peace and quiet, and to be alone… as a uni-corn.” 

Corps Memories

Jeanna GLeave a comment

If you were asked what activities you participated in most outside of school as a child, what would you remember first? You’d probably remember what you spent the most time doing, and hopefully that was also what you enjoyed the most. 

In my elementary school years, playing games outside, 4-H, Saturday morning cartoons, and Nintendo occupied my free time.  My adolescent years were saturated with sports, riding my 10-speed around town, and playing for the fife and drum corps. No matter the day, I was active. 

I recently read in my hometown newspaper that the corps I marched with would soon be disbanded because of dwindling recruitment of both participants and volunteers. It’s sad to think that some things come to an end, despite how great they were or how many lives they touched. I can’t count the hours I spent practicing my fife and how to march in formation, or how many hours we spent on parade routes or in musters all over the northeast and beyond. We were a dedicated group, which is impressive for a bunch of tweens. But maybe that is even more impressive for the middle-aged. 

What can you say you do most outside of working hours now? If you’re a dedicated parent, your free time is limited, but finding ‘you time’ is invaluable. Do you carve out time for a hobby? Do you practice your talents? Do you focus on doing something that you love and is worth your while? 

I have often heard people say life gets in the way of doing what they love. 

That is absurd. 

We cannot allow ourselves to fall by the wayside. We need to dig deep and re-engage with our younger versions to find the dedication and motivation it takes to practice doing what makes us happy, and to live life to the fullest! 

Don’t let another great thing come to an end. Get out of your own way, and start living. 

Stay Classic

Jeanna GLeave a comment

Last night I went to music bingo at a local brewery, and the final round was classic rock. I’d say 90% of the songs were from my childhood and adolescence. I stared at my board, slackjawed, and then exclaimed, “I’m classic?!” In other words, I’m old. 

I remember a time my mom was classifying her children’s senses of style; one was athletic, one trendy, and she looked at me, paused, and then labeled me classic. I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I was living in Connecticut at the time, so I was hoping she just meant preppy, and not stale. 

I work for a tech company now, and despite the world’s advances in technology, its failure is the cause of most of my team’s headaches. “Classic” is our go-to word for things going wrong at just the wrong time. Hearing the word classic had always conjured up images of cool things like cars and rock ‘n’ roll, but the word classic was starting to take on a negative connotation, and I didn’t like it. 

Last week I was watching a morning talk show that was highlighting a trending Reel on social media that had copied a scene from a Christmas movie that was made nearly 40 years ago. One of the hosts pointed out that the Reel is popular because that movie is still relevant. That one declaration helped me to restore my mindset; being classic doesn’t mean I’m old, it means I’m popular! *cue applause* So, you see, calling something classic doesn’t mean it’s old, stale, or broken, it means it’s timeless, relevant, and enduring.

As I begin planning for the new year, I resolve to stay classically classic.