Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

Every now and then, most of us need a reminder of what truly matters in the world. Sometimes it’s not so much about forgetting what matters as much as it is a case of becoming so comfortable with those important elements of life that we take them for granted to some extent, or at least presume their infinite availability. If anything positive can be said about the ongoing pandemic it’s that it has reaffirmed to many how important relationships and connections are.

But sometimes what matters most has nothing to do with direct connection.

Sometimes we need a reminder about how even the seemingly insignificant things we do can be something that truly matters for someone else.

On March 2, 2020, I posted at my author’s page on Facebook my first “Bobservations,” the start of a weekly series of my interpretations of life and living. Sometimes they are intended to be funny, quirky or silly; sometimes they are serious, inspirational or philosophical thoughts. I began sharing them to my other Facebook pages and to my accounts on other social media.

I’m not sure why I created “Bobservations” and committed to producing them weekly, since I keep a 30-hour writing work week, devote an average of five hours a week to music practice, maintain seven social media pages and two websites, and facilitate a writing group. I was not lacking for activity because all those things are writing- and music-related activities, and it doesn’t include the hours of social or home activities. But maybe the answer to why I created “Bobservations” is in the question itself: it was another form of creation. And, as a writer, creating works that express thoughts is what I enjoy doing.

In the past year, “Bobservations” have gotten reactions and comments expressing amusement, concurrence and enjoyment. They have been shared a few times, too.

Then yesterday I got a notification of a comment on one I posted at my Instagram account. The comment was from a friend living in another state and he said, in part, that I will never know how much he needed to see that particular “Bobservations” right then. He thanked me for it.

The “Bobservations” said: “If you allow others to direct your journey, you have no right to complain once you reach the destination.”

I told my friend I was humbled by his comment. And I wished him well on his journey.

I didn’t ask him for details.

His journey is his.

And mine is made clearer each time I am reminded how we can indirectly be part of something that matters in someone else’s life. I am grateful for being reminded of this.

We need reminders, I think, and sometimes, even when we don’t know we need them, reminders have a way of showing us we do.