Don't Overthink It

In this time of quiet and reflection of past, one can venture into thoughts abandoned. While the mind is still active remembering details covered in dust or almost forgotten.

At this time thoughts of people known from long ago or recently met mix into a brew of questions.

At the same time, the little aches and pains of age ask “Should I call the doctor?” Could this be old age or something a little pill will ease?

Open the eyes in the morning and ponder what the day holds. Without an agenda or requirements, do you welcome another possibility or close your eyes? When do you climb out of bed to see if your legs will still hold you up and move you forward? Do you sit and fill your face with sugary crunch while scanning the channels? Do you go outside to meet the day?

Today, the biggest decision is what to eat for my daily meal. Same shoes, same shirt, same route, same selections and a possible choice of Coors Lite or Corona. When the beer runs out and the sun goes down and the street light turns on, it is time to climb back into bed. Easy peezy.

There was a time when everything was overthought. When we started making our own decisions, we had to figure out which kids to hang with. Do you make moves to join a team or a dance group or some nerd club to become a ‘cool kid’? Worst yet, if you find an attractive person you want to impress for a hopeful romantic encounter, are you dressed correctly? Do you have a come-on line? If that person seems interested, overthink it to the point of exhaustion.

When the basics of food, shelter, clothing and a possible partner were established, life became spontaneous. Go to a dance knowing you had a pad to crash in, go to a drinking establishment feeling you had enough bills in your wallet to pay your share, go to a movie or buy records instead of saving for the future and be rambunctious in the bedroom until a family arrives.

There were always thoughts of the unknown. Where to get employment with whatever skills you can offer for a monetary reward that will provide for your wishful lifestyle? Where to live that provides somewhat safety from crime and hopefully close enough to a workplace that won’t require a timely commute? Neighborhoods with nearby schools and churches and recreation centers are favorable, but you may have to a higher price and cut the grass under the orders of the HOA.

After you’ve left you job and your partner has died and the kids have left the state along with your friends who have disappeared into their own lives and families and memories, life turns into a field of wonder not unlike when you were born.

The future is certain. No one leaves here alive. Only time will tell when the bell rings and the game is over. Some may plan out every moment of demise with ceremonies and leftover wealth for relatives who stuck with you through the years. Others may be unaware when the grim reaper arrives suddenly, leaving others to clean up the mess. Others will slowly decay being assisted by pharmaceutical products and gentlemen and ladies in scrubs keeping the timeline going for as long as the bills are paid.

The final decision can be when to pull the plug. It may not be suicide but just the realization your time is up. If there is no one around to step in, either through court order or bloodline, you say “Goodbye” to yourself and close your eyes.

Whatever is around the corner you can’t know until you get there. You can believe all the fairy tales or fall for the propaganda, but don’t overthink it. It may be unbelievable or worse than you could ever imagine. Or it could just be ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’.