Dreams of a soon-to-be 55 year old...

For some reason, this has been my week to ponder "dreams." You know, those things that you think about all the time and really want to do? Those things that you will almost sacrifice anything for because they seemingly mean that much to you? Those things that you fantasize about doing to bring about dramatic changes in your current life - maybe taking on a brand new direction and/or accepting a brand new (and difficult) challenge? Maybe you have dreams like that? Maybe not.

Through a combination of circumstances (both work-related and family-related), and following a viewing of the movie Julie & Julia yesterday (yes, men, I took a bullet for all of us guys; went to see a morning chick flick on a rainy day with my wife), I decided to write this blog today about "dreams." I've entitled it dreams of a soon-to-be 55 year old (and the bold and italics were especially done for one particular couple of you reading this!).

Actually, I guess I've never really been much of a "dreamer." Oh sure, I've had dreams over the years. For example, I dreamed of being an artist and going to college, of marrying my best friend, of becoming a father, of being named a vice president (and senior vice president) at HDR, of having a leadership position at my church, and of witnessing my children go to and graduate from college, etc. All these dreams have already come true. I'm grateful to God for that!

But, there have also been a lot of dreams that turned into disappointments for me, things that never materialized or happened (at least not so far). For example, here's a sampling of what I'm talking about: I never grew taller than five foot eight inches; I never became a great athlete; I never developed exceptional musical talents as my two sisters did; I never developed a close, day-to-day, interdependent relationship with my Dad (at least not yet); and I never was able to start my own business and/or work in a small landscape architectural design firm. All these dreams just weren't for me. Looking back at them from the other side, I'm grateful to God for that, too!

In May of 2008, however, while reading my favorite magazine (World), I came across a wonderful article about the pastoral author Eugene Peterson and said to myself, "That's my dream! That's how I'd love to live someday." So, let me fill you in on what the article said about his life and how he spends his days since retiring from being a full-time pastor.

First, Eugene Peterson and his wife live in Montana (one of my favorite places in all the world!), in a house that his father built in 1947. It is on a mountain lake near Glacier National Park. All three of his children and their families live within four hours of this place and frequently visit whenever they can. He and his wife attend a small church nearby and many of the people he worships with there he's known for many, many years through his father.

Peterson and his wife live out a patient and deliberate lifestyle, one he tried to teach others while he was a pastor in Maryland. They like quiet, they like rhythm. The rituals of their daily life have a quality of sacredness.

He is an early riser, up at five or six most weekdays. He makes a pot of coffee, prepares a thermos for his wife, and then takes it to her on his way to his study. For the next hour and a half they are by themselves, separately praying and reading the Scriptures. Following that, he gets dressed and then takes a lovely, quarter-mile walk down a country road to get his newspaper. Making this walk throughout the year (regardless of the weather) keeps him in touch with the seasons and the animals.

Peterson and his wife prepare breakfast together. After breakfast he goes to his study to write, working until 1:00 p.m. or so. He claims to work as hard as he ever has, avoiding unnecessary interruptions as much as he can. No e-mails during this time.

Following this, Peterson and his wife eat lunch and then take "liturgical naps." After this they either walk the wooded trails nearby or cross-country ski, kayak, canoe, etc. They are pretty much outside most of all afternoons.

At about six in the evening, Peterson builds a fire in the woodstove, and then he and his wife begin preparations for supper. Then they read aloud to each other for an hour and a half (I absolutely LOVE that), reading various novels and memoirs. When they're done reading, they finish their dinner prepartions, eat and go to bed. Very simple. Their daily schedule changes somewhat for Sundays, with only attending church services and visiting friends on the docket. Very little else.

Well, that's my dream. Living intentionally. Making a conscious choice about how to live. Being completely at odds with the busyness of American life.

Hey, I can dream can't I? What about you? What are your dreams? Would love to hear about them...