Ledger of Life

Some say that with age we can trace every line engraved

into our face back to childhood. By the looks of it, those

times were harder than I had imagined. Did you know that

in a hidden recess of the mind there is an accountant who

keeps busy every day logging our ledgers with each word

we say. More than likely, you and I have been silently

grieving our losses with deep-seeded emotions mere words

cannot explain. How long can the world continue repeating

life’s lessons to us? Time’s a wasting, and yet there is so

much left to learn. I once met a woman, eighty-some years

old, who claimed at heart she felt as if she was still a teenager.

At the time, nearly twenty-years her younger, I behaved as

if I were twice her age. Hesitant at first, I agreed to walk

with her. But first, I had to grab my cane. You may be

wondering why I feel the need to share my current state

of affairs with you? Well, my accountant tells me that as of

late I have been running a word deficit, and I need to make

up for lost time. This is not uncommon, I am told, when one

grows older and lives alone. And talking with your dog counts

for some, but not nearly enough. Seems that’s about all the

verbiage I can muster today. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll have more

to say...Good girl, now let’s go get a treat!

Chris Hanch 8-9-17