The Signposts

Of course, there are many signposts on the curved road of life.

Each is always a subtle indicator of aging i,e, a decidely slower pace, a sudden doubt and the definite pain felt with loss of fellow pilgrims.

Yet most if not all are easily ignored.

And always so easy to excuse with the universal pretense, “But not me.”

Of course, that does make this journey called “life” easier

Apart from my own perception of the slow and insidious changes in body and mind, I now realize there is another stark indicator equally visible to all who walk alongside me

The difference is what we called rules, once all demanded and observed.

Red lights gave grave warnings to stop, green gave permission to continue.

Disagreements between family members were settled by silence or raised voices, but rarely violence.

Retribution was not ours and the headlines we read over tea or coffee rarely conflicted with our belief system.

And so it was when we shared the belief that punishment belongs to our Maker.

Today’s new norm of news indicates there is a new indicator of age, one a blatant rejection of that once shared philosophy,

Reading the headlines of Vengeance is Mine, and Rules Were Made To Be Broken, I wonder when the climate of forgiveness disappeared.

Undoubtedly, it happened when I stopped watching the signposts of life and kept pretending

“But not me,”

And, of course, I should have listened more closely and realized life had changed as well as my body.