Growing Young

I've written before about how I believe that people get old in spurts. We age because of events - falling out of a tree, getting thrown out of a country, watching someone we love die...

But I also believe that there are certain events that add to your life. For years I watched my father toil away in a job that was sucking the life out of him. When he quit to join a firm of three, he seemed to get younger. He got even younger with the birth of his first grandchild. Fly fishing helped as did another move out of the city.

In the past week I have had two events that may prolong my life (as long as I stay out of trees): I finally finished my thesis, ten years after starting graduate school and we finally sold our car in Africa.

My thesis advisor made a comment during the final stretch that the thesis owned me and, until I completed it, it would continue to have a hold over my life. He was right. It was such a burden knowning that I was just short of having that paper. For years I'd ridden on that "all but done," fearing that some employer would hold me to the completion of the degree or fire me. I knew that it would be tough, if not impossible, to cintinue teaching on the college level without finishing but the panic of writing was almost as strong as the panic of not finishing. But now that it is finished, I can breathe easier.

Another burden that has been lifted, although rather hollow when compared to the first, is the sale of our Galloper in Africa. When we left unexpectedly in December of 2005, we had hoped our friends would be able to find a buyer rather easily. But with the mass exodus of foreigners and a lack of dollars, it took over a year. Even then, we had to slash the selling price and rely on local currency. Gradually that money will get converted into spendable dollars.

What made this such a burden was that it felt like one more thing that our friends had to help with. We couldn't do anything about it from the US or Asia but we also didn't want it to be of concern to people with much more important things to worry about. It also tied us to a country where we weren't welcome. But now, we are free!

I feel younger this week than I have in a long time, despite recovering from a cold. There is so much less weighing me down. I've been enjoying my family much more. I look forward to spening time in the evenings with the kite flyers across the street and practicing my language. I look at the next year, transitioning from language school to a job at a university in the big city, and can't wait for what is coming.

Great things, great God.