‘You learn about life when you play the game of life.’ The jingle for the board game called Life was catchy. Our Game does not have clear rules. The rules of the Game are not accepted by all. Many look for a way around the rules. Then again when we faithfully understand and give yeoman’s effort to follow them we watch as those who have little or no respect for the rulebook pass us by on their unicycle riding backwards with their arms folded and a bizarre grin on their faces.

‘Life is not fair,’ the Young Man said. ‘I see others advance while I march in place,’ the Young Man continued. ‘I work long hours while my colleagues go home early,’ Young Man noted. ‘Management threw a birthday party for everyone in the office accept me,’ Youn Man said sadly.

‘Life has been good to me,’ Old Man said with a smile. ‘I have reached 69 when I feared I would not see 40,’ Old Man continued. ‘I learned to watch and wait…ponder and consider the many machinations of life,’ Old Man explained. ‘Tough times came and went but my faith held firm,’ Old Man smiled. ‘It is a scary ride on the Rollercoaster…up and down…on your head upside down…on your side…seeing nothing but sky or rapidly approaching ground,’ Old Man told of his life. ‘Challenges came faster than I expected…blessings took me by surprise,’ Old Man laughed.

The Old Man talked with another Old Man. Almost the same age. Many memories of former times that are being lost to time. Reflecting on 50 year reunions. How we change…how we stay the same. The Old Men recalled what it was like to crouch under our desks in school to protect us from nuclear bombs. A different time…no cell phones or computers…find your periodical in the Periodical Room at Morris Library. They agree if they make 70 it will be a celebration. The Game Of Life is a privilege.

Due to the recent hot September, autumn seems reduced in scope. Halloween is less than two weeks away. Thanksgiving is drawing close. Time is a bit funny in its proclivity to seem far away and then on top of you. The rapidity of time is unpredictable yet the reality is real. Discussion of Christmas gifts is no longer an academic matter. Talk now or be caught short when the big day arrives. This is life and goals. We speak of desired change…when it comes we say…what is this. Change requires active participation. We want it and hope it will fall on us from Heaven…even then we may shrug our shoulders and ask who ordered this.

I remember wanting to advance at University. When the opportunity to do so came the change desired was greater than I had envisioned. I was fearful of the management position. Was I up to the task? A colleague told me that he would rather be dead than take the job that no one had succeeded at. Another advisor said that I had at least 25 years to work in the stressful position. So I overcame my fears of failure and accepted the first management position and ultimately the head of the department for the last 12 years of my career.

Change comes disguised as potential failure…until it is embraced. Then the hope of time comes to rest with your decision. Challenge is not for the faint of heart. The caterpillar did not know he was destined to become a butterfly.

‘Well, it is time to visit the haunted house,’ Chet said. ‘Last night it was 35 degrees a good temperature for spooky things,’ Chet winked. ‘The House has the reputation of eating those who enter,’ Chet laughed. ‘They go in but they do not come out,’ Chet noted. ‘Tiny went in over 400 pounds and showed up at Mr. Munchies 150 pounds a shadow of his former self,’ Chet grinned. ‘Tiny is the only person who came back from the liminal space of the Haunted House,’ Chet explained.

‘There is hall after hall room after room with no ending,’ Neva J said. ‘I assumed the scary reports regarding the HH were Halloween Hype but this is weird, Kid,’ Neva J said with a shudder. ‘I just passed five clowns with strange smiles,’ Neva J continued. ‘They pointed me to a large auditorium where a man spoke without ceasing…his words were increasingly difficult to understand,’ Neva J said. ‘The audience listening had no ears but seemed content,’ Neva J observed.

‘We have explored for a while,’ Jane said. ‘I continue to look for the door but find I am either in the same place or a place that looks just like it,’ Jane said. ‘The clowns look familiar,’Jane observed. ‘I have seen them before perhaps in a dream,’ Jane mused.

‘It seems there is a Halloween Reversal in the HH,’ Billy B said. ‘There is a 8 millimeter film playing in the Theatre showing a news reel of Frankenstein as President,’ Billy B informed with saucer eyes.

When I change age I say I am that age for a while…then I begin owning the next age. One of my many oddities. So, I feel 69 and that is the front porch of 70. How did it happen? One day at a time. I used to see folks at University who worked until my ripe old age and wondered how they did it. Now it does not seem so old. When they told me it happens quick I had no idea how quick. I have heard with age comes wisdom…I cannot tell. Wisdom is elusive. It dawned on me a few years ago that I was born a week before Halloween. Hence my love for fall and Halloween Stories.

I saw a 8 millimeter film of me at my first Birthday Party. The kids around the table were laughing and eating cake and I was crying. Perhaps I thought I was in a Halloween Story. We lived in Chicago. I thought we always would. The neighborhood reminded me of Leave It To Beaver. Dad rode a Harley Davidson motorcycle and looked like a mobster. Mom looked like a model. Mom liked to do the Twist. She Twisted daily. Dad liked to watch Gunsmoke. Westerns and combat programs were the taste of the day. I had a cowboy outfit and a holster for my toy revolver.

We moved to Eldorado. Our first house was a haunted Victorian. Mom and Dad moved in a vain attempt to put their marriage back together. I remember the cold of my first birthday in Eldorado. The house was cold and scary…the long wrap around front porch was cold. I got warm by standing by the fire in the fireplace. Soon it was Neva J and me. We figured it out. I discovered you do not have to have much to be happy. Happiness is a decision. It is inside you.

So, 69 Is Mighty Fine. 70 is just around the corner.

Fall was in the air today. Thirty degrees cooler than yesterday. A gentle reminder that furnace time is on the way. The deer watched the Old Man as he watched the deer. The deer know change is afoot. Leaves are holding on for dear life. Christmas bells are ringing softly in the distance. A cool down means a calm down. Summer was hot…September was hot.

Seeking solace from sycophants is a delicate proposition. Mr. sycophant by nature is concerned about kissing up. His eyes are fixed on the ladder of success and the posterior in his face. Many of these sycophantic folks are in positions of power. We look to them for help. Their business plan is to help those from whom they can gain. The strange look of good institutions morphed into a grotesque shadow of their former self is a bit Halloween.

‘There is the rarified air of the rich and powerful, then the real air we all breathe,’ Chet said. ‘We understand we are in the struggle together,’ Chet grinned. ‘The elitist attitude of rich and powerful wannabes is in some churches as well,’ Chet noted. ‘Some preachers say that if you are gaining money you are in favor with God and if you are poor you are not doing it right,’ Chet continued. ‘These groups gain many sycophants as favor with the minster is considered favor with God,’ Chet laughed.

The Woods is not governed by such silliness. ‘We are members of a settled society,’ Mr. Badger said. ‘When the fall comes we gather for winter,’ Mr. Badger noted. ‘Equal members of the great experiment,’ Mr. Badger laughed. ‘Leaders are Servant/Leaders their job is to help those they lead,’ Mr. Badger smiled. ‘There is an order to all things…autumn is here and a great time for messing around on boats,’ Badger laughed.