Observations©

Donald S. Conkey

 

Date:  September 27, 2007 - # 939 – Preparing for the “Golden Years” (804)

 

Does one’s “Golden Years” just happen or must they be prepared for? 

            I was medically retired in 1992 but with medical help I recovered from the heart issues that caused the early retirement. The next few years were thoroughly enjoyable. Without knowing it I had prepared for my years of retirement: partially with my vocation but mostly with my avocation.

            Prior to Joan’s retirement in 1994 I was involved in a state-wide political project that allowed me to fully use my vocational learned skills. Many golden memories remain and I am still contacted, because of my involvement, by various PhD candidates doing their projects on state-sponsored gambling.  

These were also the years I traveled throughout the United States and Canada gathering family data for the several family history books I would later publish. That data is keeping me active today. Those golden filled years were preparation years for today when I am house bound. Thankfully, modern technology, the web and my lap-top, allows me to access new data that was not available to me during my cross-country travel days of gathering.          

Following Joan’s retirement in 1994 we moved to Toronto Ontario, as church service missionaries, where we worked to build bridges of understanding with 47 faith groups and to teach them how to produce and air their own public television programs. We were also involved in a project titled “Festival to the Family,” the largest Canadian project ever staged to strengthen the family and to establish the traditional family as the very foundation of society. Joan played a major role in its huge success. Those days were truly golden as Toronto also enriched our lives with its theater. We also renewed our life-long friendship with Donnie Osmond who was then starring in Toronto.            

            But as birthday’s continued and health issues took their toll the golden memories began to be replaced with the realities of aging life and we quickly realized retirement is more than a season to travel, gather data or attend family events – it is also a time to prepare for the season that follows – immortality. 

            Every human being is born into a state of preparation and remains in that state until death. Even then, I suspect, mankind continue to prepare for their next stage of their eternal life. Each individual lives life preparing for their next stage in life including seniors preparing for immortality. This preparation principle is a major principle of life. They who do not understand this principle or fail to prepare for their next stage fail to comprehend life or their eternal potential. Even that spirit that is ‘breathed’ into the new born babe, giving that new mortal body life, prepared for the mortal journey they have just embarked on.

            In spite of my physical limitations my golden moments, and memories still outweigh the leaden realities of life. My golden memories include having the love of my wife and family and watching them succeed in life and the grandchildren’s little notes that say “I love you grandpa,” and include the hugs as they leave to reenter their generation’s season of life. 

            I served American agriculture for over 60 years. These years created golden memories that still linger with me. Then in 1963 my life long avocation of family history was planted and took root. It has stuck with me like flees to a dog. Those professional friends we worked with for years tend to fade from our memories but family never fades away; they are family forever.

            The family data gathered over 44 years was often limited, sometimes sketchy, but it was always a beginning point to build on. I have boxes full of photographs of relatives, both living and dead, and of tombstones dating back to the 1700s. The web and Ancestor.com now allows me to fill in the sketchy data gathered through these years, sitting at home, with my lap top on my lap.

Seldom does a day go by when I am not on the web searching the census, birth, death and marriage records of the late 1800 and early 1900s. The genealogy records on line are astounding.

Recently a fellow worker of many years died. His obituary stated his passion was working the daily New York Times cross-word puzzles. Searching the web and vicariously mingling with my ancestors provides for me, and fellow genealogists, that same sense of excitement of filling in a blank space. But for me the word sought for is more than just a word, it’s a name, a family person who once lived and will greet me when I walk across that bridge into immortality and there, hopefully, more fully comprehend Christ’s admonition “to become perfect even as your Father-in-Heaven and I are perfect.”

“Golden years” have to be prepared for, even as life is prepared for – beginning at birth.