By Harold Rodenberger
Our recent warmer weather has accelerated my feeling of renewal that happens every spring.
The older I get the more I appreciate the sense of renewal that happens this time of year. When I was younger, the days rolled by one by one, weeks took a full week to pass and tomorrows seemed endless.
Now, as the passing days, weeks and months total nearly four score years of living on this earth, my days spin by quickly. Sunday barely gets going before Saturday pops up and the months pass like weeks did in years past.
I think the apparent speed is caused by accumulating memories that blend current observations with the old. I seldom see a genuinely new thing unless I search for it. The temptation is to go with the same old emotions, fit new sights into the old and categorize the passing scene as, “the same old, same old.” Only if I set out to find a new shape, color or idea nearly hidden in the smoke screen of old memories can I find something that stimulates a new question or thought.
Not saying that old memories are bad, just that they should be used with discretion. As I get older I find refuge in some of those old memories of gentler and happier times when time passed slower and multiple blinking, beeping, speaking and vibrating electronic things weren’t competing for my attention.
This time of year brings renewal to our VFW Post as well. Joint installation of our new officers and those of our Auxiliary will be held this Thursday, 5/4/17, with our Department Junior Vice Commander, Linda Fairbank, presiding. Linda will be installed as our VFW Department Senior Vice Commander next month at our state convention.
Our Post Honor Guard Captain and Chief Librarian, Bill Hoeller, finds it necessary to step down to take care of pressing family matters. Bill has done a wonderful job but must move on and he will be sorely missed.
Joe Fitzgerald is stepping into the position of Honor Guard Captain. We receive requests for our honor guard to perform, especially graveside or memorial services, but we need more people to field a proper team even when some members have other commitments. If you are interested in serving on our honor guard, please contact Joe at 206-777-5364 or [email protected].
We are looking for someone to serve as our post librarian. Since we have an honor system library, the duties are not time consuming. If you have an interest in books and would like to maintain our library, please let me know.
This month we will visit the VA Hospital to host a bingo night on May 23, 2017 and again on Memorial Day when we will visit with and hand out goodies to patients.
Remember, “new” is a big part of “reNEWal.” Sometimes I am reluctant to step out of my daily routine but I need to “embrace renewal,” not only of the natural world around me, but also of the brain. If I let them, new sights and changing scenes can bring new thoughts and memories, rejuvenating a tired old brain and getting our new VFW year off to a running start.