Maybe Not?

We arrived last Friday evening. Today is Wednesday. I went out for my first wander this morning.

The neighborhood we are in is adjacent to Town Center. Town center is circled by a couple of main thoroughfares. And to get across these thoroughfares and into Town Center are a labyrinth of tunnels. The photo below is one of the signs posted at the entry way of every one of these tunnels. It got me to thinking.

Yes, I believe each of us as humans needs to feel safe. Yet, we define safe differently. And we bring each of our unique situations to that safety equation. For instance, I am white and male. This makes for a significantly safer path through life than those that are neither. I share those characteristics with a huge portion of the worlds population. I’m also 6’6 1/2″ tall. Well, at least I used to be before I began my late life process of shrinking (that MUST be another post). I was also born into a middle class traditional family during one of the greatest times (post WWII US) and places to be born. Simply put, I won the lottery!! And on those days when I am wallowing in self pity, I do my best to remind myself of my lottery winnings.

The sign also led me to thinking about Joyce and I as we live out the remainder of our lives. As we adventure as long as we are able. Do we need to be safe? Heck yes. And yet the safe thing to do for me would be to stay in Walnut Creek, enjoy the fruits of our labors and slide into nothingness.

One of my heroes, Neil Young, sings “It is better to burn out, than to fade away!”