Special Thoughts

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are travelling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering -- waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

"When we reach the station, that will be it!" we cry. "When I'm 18." "When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz!" "When I put the last kid through college." "When I have paid off the mortgage!" "When I get a promotion." "When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!"

Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive for once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

"Relish the moment" is a good motto. It isn't the burdens of today that drive people mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less; Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

("Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day which the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.")

 

"When I would see Looie at breakfast, I would say good morning and he would say "I'm so glad you can see me". That was the line I closed with when I e-mailed him, before he passed away.
After Looie passed away, we kept his place at the Old Men's Table set, even with the knife and fork in "the proper place". I went over to the Mic Mall and bought a "Chief Falling Branch" cup and placed it on his plate. It stayed there until I departed. I brought it home with me, and will keep it with my cherished Osceola items.
I was a Roundup Dancer for 5 years, and I still enjoy taking a turn around the Council Ring.
I will remember Looie at the last Lone Bear, doing a pretty good dance (with the beat of the drum).
I can say that I had the last dance with him."
--Warrior Flaming Sunlight

"I will never visit Lone Bear Ring or The Point without thinking of Louis.
More than any other Scout Leader, Louis exlemplified the Scout Law and meaning of good character…
He touched the lives of so many at Bartle. It was a joy to see him talking with the boys in the Memorial Lodge - telling them stories and drawing them into conversation. I loved to hear him talk about the collection in the memorial lodge…
It was a true privilege to have known Chieftain Falling Branch and we will remember him always in Friendship and Warmth."
- Mother of Swift Stalking Owl

This site is built and maintained by Show Me Romance and T. Lea Chandler-Purcell

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H. Louis Chandler's Personal Representative c. 2000 - 2006
P.O. Box 3220
Independence, Missouri 64055
terrapintlc@earthlink.net