By Steve Stricker

Columnist

 

As I walked on the Ole Miss campus early on the gorgeous fall morning of Thursday, October 25, 2012, just past the Confederate statue at the Circle toward the Lyceum, like hundreds of other times, I noticed with a fresh mind the sidewalk inlays and bricks from the classes of 2008 to 2012.  Each segment, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, was separated by five steps or about three seconds taking a total of 20 steps and 15 seconds to waft through those four years.  

Because I dwell way too much on how fast time is passing, especially lately, these years set in “stone,” I thought was a perfect metaphor indeed that time, as Steve Miller wrote in his song “Fly Like An Eagle,” “…keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future.” Because so many negative things were going on in my life, especially 2010-2011, time did not fly by.  Rather, it was like I had entered another dimension in space as in slow motion my feet seemed to sink into the pavement like walking through a field of gumbo on my grandpa’s farm in southern Missouri and prior to that Thursday, those few steps on the sidewalk seemed to take forever.  

However, on that beautiful fall morning, time again flicked by and in seconds I was staring down at the newest segment, 2012 and contemplating the thankful change in me and my attitude.  Because time passes quickly (it sometimes works in my favor) and allows healing as it stealthily slips by, and because of actually allowing my faith to work and shaking off some of the self-pity that no matter how hard I tried enveloped me, it was and is, a new world for me.  As I say to myself often (and occasionally to others) nothing good lasts forever – but neither does the bad stuff. 

My good and bad days seem to flow and ebb somewhat even for me like rounded-off seismograph waves printed out over a period of time when little activity is going on.  Conversely, during the tumultuous years of 2010-2011, severe spikes occurred way too frequently.  Now, I thank God for allowing me to move past those negative times and the flow back to a more rhythmic routine as I finally have adjusted to my losses, healing, and once more my head is poking through the clouds to the sunshine that I thought I would never experience again. 

One of my mentors told me once to turn lemons into lemonade.  As in all things, it isn’t so much what happens to us but how we respond to what befalls us that is important.  My hero mom “Gert” died in 2008.  But she had lived a rich long life and had given birth to me over and over.  In 2009 I became engaged to a lady from Scotland who I loved deeply.  For several years I was as happy as I had ever been, loved her mum and dad and two brothers, loved Scotland and England, and was prepared to give up all I owned, family and country and move there forever, but God knew best, and it ended in 2011.  However, it was a wonderful experience, and I was awed to find that I could love that deeply.   

In June 2010, because of needing both my hips replaced and eye issues, I had to step out of the work force.  In May 2011 to November 2011, both my hips had to be totally replaced; I underwent four eye surgeries resulting in severe vision issues, and two procedures to remove my gall bladder. In October, my ex-fiancée’s father, who I dearly loved, passed away.   

In April 2012, I slipped on my rain-slick garage floor, damaged my elbow and partially tore my rotator cuff, and have spent many hours in rehab at Cornerstone (thanks Miriam) and thanks Dr. Field as I have “graduated” and am moving on.   

All that took less than 8 seconds and only slightly longer for you to read it – poof, gone!