The Absent Uncle: The merry-go-round

Over the last few weeks I have dealt with losses, change, and going on vacation. (I still have to deal with the going on vacation when retired to discuss.)

The losses of old friends have been difficult. I don’t know if that ever goes away, but I’m open to answers on that front.

I reminded myself of something I used to say to co-workers and friends earlier in life, that what you put on the merry-go-round will sooner or later come back around.

In those days I was referring to trying to do the right thing, encouraging them to not look at the short run, but rather the long haul. Put the effort, the care into whatever cause or task and someday that simple gesture will come around again on the merry-go-round as a reward for just doing the right thing.

In those days I pretty much thought of the merry-go-round as what life has in store for us as it turns in that big circle. Sometimes that circle or size of the merry-go-round seemed to grow and grow as it took longer and longer for the good thing to come back into my perspective.

But somehow, over the last few days I see that merry-go-round not just from the perspective of watching turn in front of me, but also from being onboard, watching the scenery change as life turns with me riding one of those painted horses going up and down.

Everything seems to change twice as fast; the merry-go-round moves forward; the scenery just flies by. And from this perspective you don’t get to see any changes on the merry-go-round. Just the changes in the scene as you pass by.

While I have dealt with the losses as best I can, this new perspective allows me to look around the merry-go-round in my general area and appreciate the riders I may not have noticed before and talk with them about the scenery we are seeing together for maybe the first time.

That helps fill some of the voids. You can see some familiar territory and talk about what it meant and who was with you when you passed that way before developing a new acquaintance that is also seeing something new to them. Filling the void, remembering what is important.

Not everyone reading this will get my metaphor of life as a merry-go-round. Maybe a couple of you. But for me it works – it helps me through.