Point/Conterpoint

As posted in Point Counterpoint Thursday, June 30, 2005 The path we make...

Walking along your journey, you happen to turn around to reflected on moments past. When you notice a figure walking along your path. This figure is far away in the distance, that part in the path you trekked long ago. The figure becomes familiar-you realize it is one of your children walking the same path that you, yourself have. Your actions? Reactions? Emotions?

Gem's response {Journally Yours}:

Title: My child, if you want to walk with me...
As I travel along my journey
I see ahead of me life's endless possibilities.
At the present time I halt my adventure and glimpse back
Reminiscing some of the memories I left behind
 Recollecting the lessons I learned from way back.   In recalling to mind the bitterness and wholesome of life
There were legends of my own unbearable to contain nor neglect
I haunt my past and deny myself of the moment 
Unconsciously hanging on to my unresolve circumstances.

Finally I have come to a choice
Armed with determination to live life to the fullest.
I look back for one last time
To forgive, to let go and finally bury
Past joys and tears I could no longer carry.   Behind me, all along, a familiar shadow was peeking
 A child of mine she sure is and no other.
At a distance I can see the gleams in her eyes
But a closer look her glare steadies at a brickwall
There was an energy...a lacking of self-restraint
Not I or even herself could see the rays of hope in the end.
Since exploration of  living lies before her
I reached out to caress her innocence in wills and reasons.
If my fate is to cast a shadow of my reflections
Then it's only noble to yield the path to one of my own. 

"My child, if you choose to walk my path
Then let your heart's desire guide you.
There will be things I wouldn't want you to go through
But I trust Almighty God that he wouldn't leave you."
"If ever you stumbled upon undesirable rocks
Remember that I am walking too
Not ahead of you nor behind you
But just near enough...right beside you."
"My child, if you desire to walk with me
A pure blessings is showered your way
I regret not one thing specially you are here."

"If it's your destiny to walk my way
Then grab on to my hand whenever needed
Let's tackle these together and remember always
God will never give you, them or us anything we can not ever handle." (end.)   {Gem ;-) }  

Spencer's response {Spencer's Place}:  

Often I think about how I got where I am today and how many paths I trekked to reach this destination. When young and still wet behind the ears with the naivete of a new born I always did more than one task to earn a living. My father had firmly planted a multitude of creative seeds in his children and stressed education as a way to insure increased opportunity to a more comfortable life. He and Mom raised seven children and contributed greatly to the needs of many neighborhood kids.
 
Being one not to be "ordinary" I always strived for something different and was not attracted by many of the normal teenage and young adult entertainment activities. I sung in local groups and duets with others in a string of entertainment venues in and around the St. Louis area as well occasionally tripped to other Midwestern cities to perform. Never having a goal to be an entertainer I did so to save and invest money until the glamor wore off and I felt the angst of the entertainment world become too uncomfortable for me.
 
I pictured myself as sort of a young Wall Street broker in training to earn investment funds. By the time I was in my mid twenties I owned real estate investment properties and had a nice nest egg in which to get a head start in life. I in turn tried to plant similar seeds in my two daughters. To encourage them to be well rounded and make plans to not always depend on a "job" for a living.
 
From my view I had a wild young adult life in that I was driven to learn about everything I could that was not an "ordinary living" for those of us who came from our neighborhood.  While many, even those with college experience, ended up in packing houses, auto and airline assembly plants and a cadre of similar endeavors I took another route. With the cushion of savings and investments I ventured out into learning about trading commodities such as coal, grains, lumber and other similar products. It provided for a stimulating living and travel to most parts of the world. Yet, no matter what I did when I felt weary or needed recharging I always went to construction. To tear down and rebuild a porch, garage or to move or repair a wall provided a constant source of stimulation and satisfaction.
 
My youngest daughter was always thrilled by the activity involved in construction and loved to demolish structures. Then became excited by the prospect of designing and building anew. Thinking it was only a youngster flirting with excitement her mother and I  didn't put much stock in her saying she wanted to do that for a living.  But as the years passed she became more enamored with the idea and did in fact prepare herself to build and design structures. She got a degree in architectural engineering and design.
 
Now after a few years of working on projects for companies and hospitals she is chopping at the bit to join me in building homes but add a design/build phase to it.  Just as I am preparing for retirement "again" I am considering going into business with my daughter. The idea is striking and I am proud she is in an industry I so enjoy but emotionally I may not be ready for her zeal and fortitude. I am tired and worn and though she infuses some sparks in me I would hate to let her down. I am on a slow pace looking at the end of the work road while she is on fire with ideas and plans and look to me to help her get launched.
 
I see myself as a young adult in her and can't fault her aggressive nature which she inherited. Her creativity is outstanding and wears me out with continued new ideas as well as her set goals. I look up to her for having so much of what I have lost in the years of fighting to have the opportunity to be able to do those things many of my peers only dreamed of doing.  I am in awe at her energy and activity levels with goals already stretched out to cover years beyond my potential time to work. I am working now due to necessity "only" and not for some created reason due to boredom.
 
She is enthused not only by the effort leading up to the construction of something but the idea of being there during each step of the way as it is built. I have lost a lot of that glazing in that once I get through the fight necessary to get it started I feel vindicated and the action of building does not have the same thrill it once had for me. I see a potential light returning with its shine brightly restoring some of my lost determination and aggressive behavior but deep down inside I know that if I do in fact go into business with my daughter I will never retire. I will die on site with a hammer or saw in my hand. Together we have the potential to be a force to reckon with because I know I can't start something half heartedly. And I know I will not cheat her by not giving my all.
 
Oh, the paths we travel to arrive where we are today. I might just consider her being my shadow fighting along the same paths I went. She is in the truest sense of the word her daddy's child and a reflection of his image and desire.
 
Well, the thoughts are strong
must make a decision, I oughta.
A new sign is being made
Design and Build by
"Spencer and Daughter"