Beard of the Week LXIV: Time Marches On
In acknowledgment of the season, this week's beard belongs to Father Time, beautifully sculpted in this high relief bronze medallion by Steven Adams, owner and proprietor of SGA Sculpting and Engraving.*
For good allegorical reasons Father Time, who represents the ending of the year, is an old man with a long beard (so we know he's very old, because it takes time to grow a beard that long). He's not necessarily decrepit, but we all know that his days are numbered among the very few. We can see him as old and near death, ready to make way for the next year to arrive, fresh and bouncy new as a baby.
But I think I'm in the mood for a different interpretation. I haven't had an entirely fabulous year, personally. Among other things, becoming an orphan seems to have upset my emotional balance for a good part of the year, and there were other less-than-salubrious events scattered across the past twelve months.
However, amidst all that there have been a number of small delights and some personal advances. Some pending household tasks have been done. I made an exciting visit to Manhattan earlier in the year with Bill and saw an opera. Attending my writers' group meetings has kept me more motivated and I've written more stories than last year. There were other events, most of which I'm sure I chronicled here, which is a good thing for those times when my aging sieve of a mind lets a few memories drip out.
I don't know whether I've mentioned it or not but in September I started a long-indicated association with an endocrinologist and added mealtime insulin to my repertoire of diabetic therapy. The changes have been most welcome. My average blood sugar is coming into much better control than it has been, probably for some years. My moods are far less variable and more stably positive, which makes me feel better and makes Isaac life much easier, too. Now that I've started metabolizing again I've also put on weight–about 20 pounds–but I don't mind unless it's just the beginning of an unstoppable trend. In fact, I had been feeling a bit too thin before this.
So I'm thinking that this year I'll try to honor Father Time by recognizing that he arrives at the end of the year filled with experiences and packed with wisdom, ready for whatever the new year can throw at him, facing the future feeling rejuvenated and energetic, and younger than the length of his beard might suggest.
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* It's not clear from his website where Mr. Allen resides at the moment, but he does say that he currently is employed by the Northwest Territorial Mint in Auburn, Washington. He also writes about his interest in producing Hobo Nickels and is a member of the Original Hobo Nickel Society. One does try to learn something new everyday; today I learned that there even is such a thing as hobo nickels. Cool!
In: All, Beard of the Week, Personal Notebook