Curtis Johnson | + Follow Poet |
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I Was Thinking

Today, I'm thinking about a man name Zack.
When he was young, Zack thought a lot about 'tomorrow'.
He tried hard to put 'today' behind him and forget about it.
'Yesterday' seemed inconsequential and of no interest to him.
Much of his 'today' was filled with anticipations and limitations.
However, he was successful about 'today', because he found 'tomorrow'.
Zack would have been very disappointed if tomorrow had never come,
because he would have been stuck with 'today' longer than he wanted to be.
 
So, when  Zack finally discovered 'tomorrow', 'today' became 'yesterday',
and it was easy to forget. 'Today' was what he needed most to forget. He
didn't realize it then, but 'yesterday' would always be there, waiting for
his recall as he began to get old, a time when 'yesterday' is a premium.

Zack's 'today' added and multiplied day after day after day. It seemed that it                                                        
would last forever as it clung to him, attached to him, held him tight, not wanting to release him. Albeit, when he was finally released from 'today', 'tomorrow' took over with a mission, with a plan, and a purpose.  As long as his life was 'today', there seemed to be a blind spot and many clouds of grey blocking his view of 'tomorrow'.

Zack is much older now, and there is so much about 'yesterday' that he wants to become reacquainted with; old childhood friends he'd like to see; old high school classmates he'd love to visit and spend time together reminiscing the old days before boys turned into men; old friends like Bobby with whom he spoke over the telephone some 10 to 12 years ago. They both laughed about the basketball game they lost 58 years ago. The score was 52 to 12.                                              

Zack often thinks about his first grade teacher who has passed on but was 95 when he last spoke with her on the telephone nearly 15 years ago.  He was very amused when she said to him, "Zack, I'm still driving my red Chevrolet Corvair".  He didn't recall the year, but it had to be early 60s.  

I think that I will close this aspect of my thinking as I offer you one last thing to think about. I have often been accused of being 'a thinker', but they don't realize that I 'think too much'. Anyway, I must say that I think a lot like Zack.  

There are yet plenty of 'tomorrows' in my frontward view, and for the most part, I can see clearly.  My 'today' presently keeps me busy and happy. I tell you, I do spend a lot more time thinking about 'yesterday' than when I was young. The future beckons me heartily and most sincerely, and although 'tomorrow' never waits for the best of us,  I 'm learning to be aware of the chase, to keep pace, to stay in the race, to touch all the bases, and to finished with grace.

091421PSCtest, Idyll Thoughts, John Lawless

Copyright © Curtis Johnson | Year Posted 2021

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