As I walked the familiar streets of Eldorado this afternoon I heard a man say to his companion, ‘Well he looked kinda like him…but he has gray hair and he is wearing a cowboy hat.’

‘I can not wait to hear what the aliens have to say…perhaps they will have a solution to stopping war,’ Jane said gleefully! It had been discovered by our most powerful telescopes that we were being watched by residents of a planet that looked just like earth but was a thousand light years away in another galaxy. ‘I have always thought that there was life on other planets,’ said Chet with a wry grin. ‘Well, it stands to reason that with the countless planets that we are aware of and the untold planets that we are not that there has to be intelligent life in space somewhere,’ Neva J. said. ‘Where do you think that Phillip K. Dick got his inspiration from…he was in contact with aliens who told him many of the secrets of the universe,’ Billy B. added. ‘I bet that they are amazed at our technology and our civilization,’ Jane contended. ‘I hope that they do not want to have us for dinner,’ Chet laughed. ‘How are they watching our lives…we do not have a telescope that is remotely powerful enough to see what is happening on their world…which the scientist calls Earth 2.0…and the Hubbel Telescope has only recently revealed the similarities in their planet’s topography and ours,’ Billy B. noted.

The Flying Saucer landed in Eldorado, Illinois…not in New York City or London or Paris…but in the little Southern Illinois former coal mining town of Eldorado. This was a major event! The mayor of Eldorado and the town fathers and mothers came out to be the official greeting party for this singular worldwide event. CNN was there and the New York Times and ABC and CBS and NBC and the London Telegraph. When asked why they thought that the Aliens from Earth 2.0 would make their visit to Eldorado the Mayor said that he believed that Eldorado personified small-town America. He also mentioned that he had been a Science Fiction aficionado for his entire life.

‘I am sure that they have come to learn from us…we have unparallel science and understanding of the cosmos,’ said Daryl. ‘Dad…better known as the Wiz…told me that they may be more advanced than we are and perhaps are coming to warn us of imminent disaster, Daryl contained. The Wiz had told Daryl that the Earth could not continue down its destructive path and that our passion for war would ultimately consume us. Also, our disregard for our home and our constant pollution of the Earth may be coming home to our destruction.

‘Greetings Earth.’ said Ralph of Earth II. We are extremely happy to see you and feel what it is like to live on Earth,’ Ralph continued. ‘Do any of you have questions for me before I launch my presentation,’ Ralp asked? ‘What have you noticed about us that has impressed you,’ Jane asked? ‘Your love for your families and your consideration for your neighbors and friends,’ Ralph answered. ‘How is our technology and do we measure up to yours,’ asked Chet? ‘Well your technology is our technology two thousand years ago,’ Ralph answered. ‘You see…all of you are dead in our world and we are your ancestors that left Earth a millennium ago,’ Ralph noted. ‘Worldwide nuclear war destroyed most of humanity 2,000 years ago…a few of us escaped to colonize on Earth II,’ said Ralph. ‘I am the great-grandson of the founder of Eldorado…many times over…and that is why I wanted to visit the town that he loved so much,’ Ralph said with a tear in his eye.

‘Dead…you say…how could that be,’ asked Neva J? ‘By the time that the images of Earth reach our most powerful telescopes the inhabitant of Earth have been dead for over a thousand years…watching each of you is a wonderful history lesson,’ Ralph said dispassionately. ‘We have watched this day countless times…and wept for our past,’ Ralph said. ‘We all are a bit like the subatomic particles that can be watched in more than one physical place at a time…it seems that our relevance is in…the eye of the beholder…

I write in blogs of three and once in a while six or seven. I was on the beautiful Campus of Southern Illinois University University @ Carbondale this morning as well as on a trip to the Woods. I was amazed that many of the Campus trees are already resplendent with blossoms. When I saw them I wondered if winter had really taken place or if it was but a cold dream. This is our life. As we are coming home we find ourselves in what appears to be inextricable circumstances. We ask where has the Sun gone and if has God hidden from our upturned faces.

As I was progressing in my career it seemed that retirement was out of my grasp. Reversals happened and a bad supervisor or two. I would look out my window and see the happy retirees and what appeared to be their carefree lifestyle and wonder how that feeling of freedom must feel. I watched my friends travel and enjoy the fruits of their labors as I was pushing the stone uphill like Sisyphus. When it rolled back down I wondered if life is but a long-playing 33 & 1/3 vinyl record. When the needle reaches the end the listener simply places it back at the beginning.

I moved from Eldorado the day after I graduated from Eldorado High School. I had plans to become a minister and study the Bible and do anything that was not in Eldorado. Now that I have become old nothing pleases me more than a photography trip to Eldorado. Mom woke me each morning with her battle cry of ‘Hit The Deck…You Rubberneck!’ I can see the 57′ Chevy full of myself and mom and Jackie Brooks and often my cousin Brenda on our way to Pounds Hollow to swim and eat hot dogs and hamburgers while away the summer hours.

Home is contained in our hearts and it is projected onto our environment. Our sense of place is a spiritual thing and is different for each of us. Home is my sons Aaron and Jonathon. Home is MJ and we will celebrate our 45th anniversary on the 24th of this month.

You remember how you felt when you were so sick and you thought that you might die. Then, suddenly you were well again and the weeping of the night gave way to the joy of the morning?

Perhaps we must learn to enjoy rolling the stone up the hill as our honest and dignified vocation. We are getting our exercise and building muscle. We do not have time for worry as the stone takes most of our concentration and focus.

Reflection is important to our arrival home. The surprises that we were taken aback by that turned out to be good things for us and that pointed us home. The love that was shown to us and that is being demonstrated to us by our fellow homeward-bound travelers…is inspiring! Our lives have many chapters and each of them is part of our story. Enjoy your homeward-bound story as you put the key in the lock of the front door and enter into refuge and safety and hope and peace.

Longing is a bedrock emotion that we all possess. We come into our world crying and cold and wondering what the heck just happened. Soon we find the kind faces of our parents and wonder where we are and how did we arrive. It is not long before we are told by our mom or dad that we have achieved one year of age. What is so special about one year old…we think before we dive into the birthday cake. Often there is a table of our supposed friends surrounding our revelry and we think who are these people and what am I to them. Seemingly overnight mom tells us that it is time for us to go to school. We think about what is wrong with me staying home with you…it has been a sweet ride so far. The school has all kinds of kids. There are skinny kids and fat kids and nice kids and those who are not so nice. The teacher asked the class who could write their name and I put my hand up. Thus I was chosen to go to the blackboard and demonstrate my prowess for a precocious five-year-old. Soon the teacher said, ‘Oh my Bradley…that is not your name…you can take your seat.’ Thus the challenges of first grade.

We seek our place in the chaotic and beautiful world that we did not ask to be a part of…but now that we are here…we attempt to navigate our surroundings. We make a lot of mistakes. Slowly we see opportunities and hurdles to jump and hills to climb. We roll down many of the hills similar to Jack & Jill. We want to be adults as it appears that they have all of the fun and they can stay up as late as they like and they even drink coffee and beer. We discover that adulting is hard…Herculean Hard! Instead of taking advantage of our ability to stay up late…we seek naps and rest and regeneration on a daily basis. There are many doors before us…but so many seemed to be locked…others have been slammed in our faces. We sit in our corner and decide that the brass ring is just out of our reach and the gold star has been given to someone else and the cloud with the silver lining is not over our heads after all.

Perseverance is the key to success in our maelstrom existence. We look for inspiration beyond mendacity. The light of loved ones and friends and the Helpers of our world speaks to us in our quandary. We see in other humans the light of God and his smiling face and feel his love. Love is a word that is difficult to define…you know it when you feel it or see it…or experience its healing of your soul.

Health concerns are debilitating. Financial reversals are robbers of sleep. Domestic issues are divisive and destructive. We seek someone who will be our mentor. We long for someone who cares with a concern that we do not feel every day. Easter is coming. We, Christians, take Easter seriously. This is the story of Jesus Christ who had a loving and caring message for humanity. His message is a blessing if you are an agnostic or atheist. There is little to find fault in loving each other as you love yourself.

We look for the good among the bad. We seek love among the hate. We seek hope among the despair. Good is just beyond the veil of tears. If we conscientiously pull the veil back we are exposed to the profound meaning of life…to help other travelers on the path back home.

Stop…meditate…pray…help someone who is unseen and unheard and unloved…and you will see the cloud with the silver lining and the throughline of the meaning of life…

Temporary problems dissolve in the light of our halcyon experiment. Once we decide that there really is nothing that we can not overcome as long as our Team is with us…our focus becomes clear and our purpose is grounded in our sense of place as integral members of the story of mankind.