By Judy Berman
In less than eight months, my life will again take another dramatic shift. It’ll be just like starting over.
That great unknown fills me with both excitement and nervousness. As I teeter on the edge, am I about to fall off into a deep chasm or fly off on a wonderful adventure?
I’ve had five years to think about this next step. Now it’s fast approaching.
“I know time flies so quickly,” John Lennon sums up all of our lives in “(Just About) Starting Over.”
It’s another John Lennon tune, however, that I think of during this transition: “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).”
In this song, John comforts his young son, Sean, and looks forward to seeing Sean grow up. John Lennon’s lyrics are a cautionary tale for all of us.
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” *
Like Richard Dreyfuss’ character in “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” life gets in the way.
Over the course of a lifetime, we may swap a comfortable life at home with our parents to venture off by ourselves to college, a job, or live and work in a different community or another country.
I’ve worked in a bank, a medical hospital library’s computer section, as a radio and newspaper reporter, and as a teacher. At the same time, I also was raising a family and going to college.
My family, including our two daughters, gave me the support needed to make those transitions.
For years, I’ve wanted to tap into my creative side – writing, painting and taking photos.
After May, I will have the time to do just that as I will retire after 12 years of teaching.
In the meantime, I aim to make this last year of teaching my best year for my students and me.
- The quote “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans” was originated by Allen Saunders – an American writer, journalist and cartoonist – in 1957. “The saying was later popularized by John Lennon in the song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).” (Wikipedia)
Do you find this saying: “life is what happens while you are busy making other plans” to be true? How?
Photo: Cliff Diving – rock-diving in North Bay. Taken in 2007 by Lake Central https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Rock_Diving_in_North_Bay.jpg
Photo: John Lennon – 1969 by Roy Kerwood https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Lie_In_15_–_John_rehearses_Give_Peace_A_Chance.jpg
Photo: (me) Judy with daughters Danielle, at right, and Jennifer
Music Video: John Lennon “(Just Like) Starting Over” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noEdecW8sHg
Music Video: John Lennon “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_j-tpmdPlI
