Ponder This . . . Short Reflections On Life

By David J. Mackey

This is a tiny piece of my life story which has been often shaped by innocence, tears, extreme joys, awe, growth, tutoring, awkward stumbles and often, compassion. Come take my hand and share these tiny segments of this grand adventure with me. The words come from deep places within me - often poorly remembered, perhaps even wishfully remembered, but no less genuine.
My words and photographs sing the song-story of my life, a cacophony of whippoorwill and loon songs, of tears caused and shared, of breezes gentle and less so, voices heard or imagined, dreams sung and dreamed. Yes, these words are my attempt to share thoughts and feelings beyond limiting words of description. Feel joy with me. Love with me. Cry with me. Indeed journey with me through this collection of decades of wondering about self, and about interactions in life, both real and imagined. My musings have been spawned by a restlessness to learn, reach inward and outward, and to share thoughts and questions raised along the way. There are many more questions herein than answers.
The words and images that follow are a sharing of my thoughts, my questions and experiences that have all merged into my psyche today. I share them with no pretense or promises of insight. No apologies are offered here. You can pick and choose as you wish. Some are silly or overly simplified. Others may seem crude or inappropriate. Some may touch a place within you that stirs inspiration, or memories, or even anger. Be with it. Taste it. Feel it. Whatever thoughts they may stir within you, the reader, they are for you to evaluate for yourself. I share these thoughts with you to perhaps inspire your own journals and writings, and also to word-paint my own song for anyone ready to hear and to venture within. Living is indeed metaphor.
The experience of gathering and sorting these materials has been rich in itself. Imagine a constant stirring of memories from past decades of one's life including journal entries both joyful and sad, letters, photographs of families, friends and adventures. All have been streaming through my mind during this exquisite writing-gathering process. Some memories have awakened in almost full bloom. Others are old dusty memories totally lost over the years until now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David J. Mackey
• Release date: Oct 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310089053

David J. Mackey

David John Mackey was born in Potsdam, NY, in the early 1940's,and raised beside the Racquette River in Saint Lawrence County. Those early years instilled reverence for nature and art that continues to this day. Cameras and pencils became tools of choice for his photography, art, and writing. David lived in the Adirondack region for most of his first forty-five years. He later moved to New England and then to the San Francisco area where his writing, photography, and outdoor adventures broadened. He is now living with his wife on the southern end of Puget Sound in Washington State. He continues his photography and writing from this Olympia, Washington home. David spent the first fifty years of his life in the northeastern United States. Now, he and his wife of twenty years, have lived in western Washington since 2005. Both are now retired, in their early eighties, happy and contented in their home in Olympia. David's career included architectural design, property management, retail ownership and management, graphic design, and professional photography. Enjoying his retirement, he now pursues avocational passions of writing, photography, art, and nature study. David has self-published several eBooks of his poetry and experience essays. His current writings are focused on his self-diagnosed experiences on the autism/Asperger's spectrum, life, and as always – more poetry. "It's all Rough Draft until you die" is about Earl, the protagonist, and his experiences of aging. Journal writings and narrative tell the story of the various physical and mental health aspects combined with the challenges of selling their home and downsizing into a smaller apartment in Olympia, Washington. Perhaps you will find inspiration to do your own journal writing as your life continues. This writer has published his third eBook entitled "Reflections, Do you see what you think you see?" about reflected light giving us visual experiences and also about our reflecting emotionally from image experiences. Reflections offers a mix of the science of light demonstrated in photographs, often mixed with the psychologies of our reactions. Reflections published July 1, 2017. David published his second eBook entitled "The Sixth Vortex" on March 29, 2016. This fictional story is about discovering a new energy vortex near Sedona, AZ. (A quick and entertaining read at 10,840 words.) David's first eBook is entitled "Ponder This" which is an invitation to...

Book preview

Ponder this . . .

Short Reflections on Life

by David J. Mackey

Copyright 2015 David J. Mackey

Published by David J. Mackey

ISBN 9781310089053

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover design by the author. The cover photo was taken by the author at Kalaloch on the Olympic Peninsula Pacific coast, WA.

Forward

I must admit, I was honored when David asked me to write this forward. As a writer myself, I know the intense feeling of finishing a piece, or at least if not finishing it, releasing it for consumption. As I perused David’s book, I came to understood how very personal his collection of poetry, photos, short prose, musings and reflections is, and it struck me as I traveled the journey of David’s life through his art just how privileged readers are that writers share their deepest hopes, fears, dreams and thoughts. It is a very brave stance to be a writer. One never knows how the words will strike the reader or how they might be interpreted. Releasing the work is complicated—rewarding and also terrifying.

And yet, I completely understand the compulsion to put into words the very personal vision one has regarding the world around us all. Writers by their very nature are observers, not only of their physical surroundings, but also of politics, complicated social issues and perhaps the most interesting fodder for contemplation, human nature. David’s very personal and reflective work helped me to think deeper about my own relationships to people and the world around me. Indeed, I am still mulling over some of his phrases and word choices. Ultimately, I think it may be why all of us read—that is, to see the world in new and interesting ways not our own.

I know that as you read this book, you will have the same experience. I recommend slow reading, savoring each word. I would like to thank David for the bravery he has shown in allowing his readers to travel with him as he reflects upon a lifetime. In this collection, the journey is revealed in such a personal and profound way that the reader can’t help but become a part of the story too. I will enjoy revisiting David’s work from time to time. I know with each subsequent reading, there will be new insights. That is a rich part of what makes this work so exciting. I hope that your experience is equally rewarding as you read and reflect.

Patty Ayala Ross

Writer and Senior Library Manager, Shelton and Hoodsport Timberland Libraries

October, 2015

Table of Contents

Chapter 1.  My Journey

Chapter 2.  Musings

Chapter 3.  Nature

Chapter 4.  Clarity

Chapter 5.  Aging

Chapter 6.  Stories

Chapter 7.  Bits of Rhyme

Chapter 8.  Foods for Thoughts

Parting Thoughts

About the Author

Acknowledgements

This book is dedicated to decades of family members, friends, and fellow writers who have encouraged my writing development over the years. Special acknowledgement goes to Sandra Herndon who is my wife and patient in-house editor, to my fellow writers and friends Laura Koerber and Patrick Butler, and to the First Draft members, a writing group in Shelton, WA, all of whom have listened to and encouraged my prose as I cautiously shared, with minimal filtering, selections from this mixed collection.

This collection would not be possible without the inspirations from the numerous friendships and experiences known and cherished throughout my life. Special gratitude goes out to my partners and families, and the friends who have had significant influence on me as I have grown, learned, sometimes stumbled, and now reached this contented time of my life. I owe all that I have become to the people and experiences of this ongoing splendid journey.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

SH-DM-OLYMPICS-300w

*****

Introduction

This is a tiny piece of my life story which has been often shaped by innocence, tears, extreme joys, awe, growth, tutoring, awkward stumbles and often, compassion. Come take my hand and share these tiny segments of this grand adventure with me. The words come from deep places within me - often poorly remembered, perhaps even wishfully remembered, but no less genuine.

My words and photographs sing the song-story of my life, a cacophony of whippoorwill and loon songs, of tears caused and shared, of breezes gentle and less so, voices heard or imagined, dreams sung and dreamed. Yes, these words are my attempt to share thoughts and feelings beyond limiting words of description. Feel joy with me. Love with me. Cry with me. Indeed journey with me through this collection of decades of wondering about self, and about interactions in life, both real and imagined. My musings have been spawned by a restlessness to learn, reach inward and outward, and to share thoughts and questions raised along the way. There are many more questions herein than answers.

The words and images that follow are a sharing of my thoughts, my questions and experiences that have all merged into my psyche today. I share them with no pretense or promises of insight. No apologies are offered here. You can pick and choose as you wish. Some are silly or overly simplified. Others may seem crude or inappropriate. Some may touch a place within you that stirs inspiration, or memories, or even anger. Be with it. Taste it. Feel it. Whatever thoughts they may stir within you, the reader, they are for you to evaluate for yourself. I share these thoughts with you to perhaps inspire your own journals and writings, and also to word-paint my own song for anyone ready to hear and to venture within. Living is indeed metaphor.

The experience of gathering and sorting these materials has been rich in itself. Imagine a constant stirring of memories from past decades of one's life including journal entries both joyful and sad, letters, photographs of families, friends and adventures. All have been streaming through my mind during this exquisite writing-gathering process. Some memories have awakened in almost full bloom. Others are old dusty memories totally lost over the years until now.

David J. Mackey

*****

Chapter One - My Journey

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Journey, the metaphor

Who am I and what do I seek?

Have I found answers or more mystery?

Has my trail been clear and certain?

Has the walk been level and smooth?

Has the wind been