Another day in the Autumn Woods. I believe that I am addicted to Fall. I woke up this morning and the first thought that I had was…I am going to the woods. It was 49 degrees when I left for Giant City; it is only 61 now. My kind of climate! Sixty-five feels alright so far…

MJ and I watched the Watcher over my Birthday on Monday and finished it last night. It came highly recommended by Aaron…and he was right. Just let me say that the series on Netflix will keep you enthralled until the last scene of the last episode. I love a mystery…don’t you? I think that captivates my attention about life…it is a profound mystery. My English friend wrote the other day about the vagaries of faith…and it was a practical application of the tussle between our physical and spiritual selves. Our spiritual self is contained in an earthen vessel. We want to sore with the eagles but our feet are made of clay. We are keenly aware that there is something that is just beyond our sight and our hearing and our awareness…but we look through a glass darkly…

The majesty of nature point to the reality that there is so much more that is unseen than what is seen. I spoke with my brother Brock today which lifted my spirits even more than they already were. He is such an upbeat and positive fellow! When I mentioned to him that I was trying 65 on for size…I told him that age is all perspective. When I retired at 53 I wondered if I would live to attain the ripe old age of 65…it seemed so far off.

Look behind yourself…suddenly…you may catch a glimpse of your Guardian Angel…

‘You know school is not so bad when you consider that we get three and sometimes four recesses a day,’ Chet commented. ‘I love the chocolate milk in the morning,’ Jane said with a gleam in her eyes. ‘Well, I am excited about Halloween,’ Billy B attested. ‘Do you have your Frankenstein costume yet,’ Darryl asked. ‘We went to Sears in Carbondale and purchased it Saturday…and I have a Frankenstein Head from Universal Studio…courtesy of cousin Gene’s collection, Billy B. responded. ‘The Frankenstein Head looks so real that I screamed in fright the other night when Billy B. first tried it on,’ Neva J. laughed. ‘We have Play Practice every night this week at 6:00 P:M:,’ Billy B. noted. ‘We must be fully prepared for our Halloween Performance Sunday night in the Town Circle,’ Neva J. added.

Now Eldorado was a town full of churches and most of them looked on Halloween as a harmless holiday for kids and candy…however not everyone felt that way. Some folks believed that Halloween was the Devil’s Holiday and that it was to be eschewed. There had been some minor protests in the Eldorado Daily Journal regarding having a Halloween Play on Sunday…or what many called ‘The Lord’s Day.’ On October 30, 1963, virtually everyone had their name on a Church Roll Of Membership. It was not unusual for a person seeking employment to add their church membership to their job application. The highest form of civic duty began with church membership.

Orpheum Theatre was having a special screening of the original Frankenstein on Sunday night. This would occur right after the Halloween Play that Billy B. and all were practicing for. In recognition of Eldoradoraidan’s love for President Kennedy…as he had visited Eldorado during his 1960 campaign…the Play was entitled President Kennedy Captures Frankenstein. It was not unusual to find a photo of President Kennedy…and often of both he and his lovely wife Jackie on the living room walls of homes in Eldorado.

The Play was in fine fettle. Billy B. lumbered on stage as Frankenstein…for the last scene where President Kennedy captures him. Darryl called out from the floor floodlights to Billy B. and said, ‘ I can not find my Kennedy Costume…what should I do…when suddenly President Kennedy strode out onto the stage and grabbed Frankenstein…which was not difficult to do in view of the fact that the President was a fully grown man and Billy B. was a little kid…Frankenstein… ‘I so enjoyed my visit to your lovely town that I thought I would stop by for the Halloween Play,’ said President Kennedy. ‘Jackie sends her warmest regards and invites all of you to the White House…in the New Year…

Walking on from stage left…was someone dressed as an angel. The angel whispered something into JFK’s ear and walked off stage. ‘She told me not to go to Dallas next month,’ JFK said…

MJ and I are sitting on the Writing Porch and it is a cool morning. Sixty-Five has dawned…and it feels much like 64. I smile when I hear others say that you are only as old as you feel… However, the Holiday Season has begun for me. From now until the end of the year will whisk by like a weaver’s shuttle. Pastor Kerry preached an excellent insightful sermon yesterday. He discussed how we are a mixture of good and bad. We all have a little Pharisee in us… I could visualize myself in almost every sentence that he uttered. The cartoon with the devil sitting on one of our shoulders and an angel sitting on the other…is perfect to describe our human condition.

I take some satisfaction in being who I am…my authentic self…not a facsimile. As I have aged I have become increasingly comfortable in my skin. I am happy when others like what they encounter and when they do not…I am not troubled…they are meeting the real Jay Brooks.

Faith is an important part of life. I have learned to wear it like a comfortable and favorite garment. The vastness of God and his love for the human family is unfathomable. He does not pursue the petty divisive differences between men and women. God sees the Big Picture…he is a Big Picture kind of Guy. When I see other members of my human family…I am seeing part of God…

Facebook has birthday wishes for me…rolling in. This has become a nice element of my Birthday. Words create mental art. The Bible tells us that a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. A few sentences from someone’s heart create a feeling of love and acceptance and hope in the person that they are being said or written.

Autumn is my season. I have been spending a couple of hours per day at Giant City State Park admiring the leaves and the cooler temperatures. I can go to the same spot and see something different each day. I am not a frenetic person but nature has a calming effect on me. It causes me to focus on renewing my sense of place. I see my role in life more clearly when I am in the midst of the brightly colored and falling leaves.

My first Pastor was fond of saying that a person must stay on track…Old 65 is still on track and searching for a new adventure…

MJ and Aaron returned from an overnight stay with our lovely family; Tara and Mike and Paige and Tyler. MJ told me how much fun they had and how sweet and kind everyone was to her and Aaron. Paige sent me a photo Friday night and told me FOMO… and being the old man I am…I had to request a definition of the acronym. FOMO means, ‘Feeling Of Missing Out’…and she was more than correct. I have known my niece Tara since she was a toddler and I continue to be impressed with her skills and love for her family and those in need.

Brock and Marcy and Jaime and Morgan and Jeb sent me the most wonderful Birthday Card for my Big 65…it made my day! They are such wonderful people. Knowing them has brightened my life.

Jonathon and I went to Eldorado yesterday…searching for Gary South…but we did not find him. We visited both Karel Park and the Eldorado History Museum. A lovely lady showed us all around and even made us coffee. It was a great trip in time… to my halcyon days in Eldorado. I told the ladies that I was five years late for their welcome of the Class of 1970 sign that was outside of the Museum… as I was of the Class of 1975. I was very pleased to see Marlene and Brenda…Dale’s sisters. I told Marlene how I appreciated her kindness and how she made me feel welcome in my first High School Speech Class. I was a freshman in a class of mostly seniors. She was very gracious and I wondered if she was thinking…who is this…

Jonathon bought my dinner at St. Nicholas Brewery yesterday. It was delicious!

Tara and her lovely family have been an uplift to me and to my spirits. When I witnessed the joy that MJ had when she returned from visiting with them…I felt reset and ready to travel on…

My friend in England reminded me of how precious memories are. Over the past 12 years, I have had the lovely opportunity of reflecting on many rich memories. Memories are a bit of a magic carpet too so many events in your life that when you were experiencing them…you may not have realized their profound significance in your life. Holidays are that way for me. After I return from a vacation I realize how wonderful it was. Indeed I enjoy the Holiday while I am experiencing it but I must confess that a third of the enjoyment is the anticipation of the event and a third of the event…and at least the final third are the memories.

Snapshots are the fabric of our lives. I can vividly recall Christmas in Chicago with my dad and mom. The Christmas Tree seemed to be ten feet tall. Bing Crosby sang White Christmas on the radio and Christmas Carolers came to our door to serenade us. Christmas has magic all of its own…as it changes people…for a season.

Birthdays are always special to me. I believe that I may attain 65…as it is Monday. Two of my best friends through the years shared the same month and day with me for our birthdays. I always look back…memories…and look ahead for what is coming down the road.

Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale began for me when I was 20 years old…but 2 weeks later I became 21. Married in 1978 and hired in the same year…it dawned on me that I was on the road to success… MJ’s birthday is on the 24th as is mine and we were married on the 24th. I enjoyed the television show ’24.’

When I look at MJ I see the blushing bride of my youth. Aaron’s first words were ‘Di Da’…and I still hear them. Jonathon learned at a remarkably early age to climb to the top of his crib and jump out onto the floor with a thud and a lusty giggle…he does not jump out of bed any longer…but he still has the giggle…

Christianity has been a constant throughout my life. When I became a Christian in 1969…I immediately gained 100 friends. Church life was a perfect fit for me. I loved to read the Bible…often by the little wood/coal stove that was just off our kitchen. It got so hot in the kitchen that the pages curled up. I wanted to be a minister…the words they said to hurt people made them feel better. I still want to help people.

My grasp of the scope of God’s love expanded when I began working at the University. I met and became friends with people from many nations. I learned that different is not bad…it is intriguing and interesting and stirred my mind and soul as to the awesomeness of my human family.

As with most of us, I have had friends and family pass away. What was shocking to me is how easily they are forgotten… except by their loved ones. Truly the journey is the reward. All that comes from the earth…goes back to its home. Memories live on…

“Hit the deck…you rubberneck…I hear mom calling to me…

We love to govern ourselves…but it takes a leader to fashion a path forward from many opinions. Or as we have seen yet again today…democracies are having a bit of a rough go of it.
The continuing fuzzy math of…1 for you and 2 for me has exacerbated to 1/2 for you…if you are lucky… and 10 for me. Unfortunately, we see this equation playing out in many arenas in both church and state. The 2-for-1 disparity we had come to accept…we had normalized it. When the multitude of the great unwashed suffer and are unable to both eat and heat their homes…strife ensues.

Power is arrogant and unchecked power is very arrogant. We have a pervasive penchant in this country to blame our economic woes on the poorest of the land. We are certain to give the important people of our organization a sizeable raise while we proclaim with downcast eyes that we wish that there was enough money to give everyone a raise. It is somewhat like gasoline prices that have gone down a little…now we feel good about the reduction…but gasoline is still very expensive. It is called conditioning.

My numerous explorations into the Giant City Woods over the past two weeks have caused me to reflect on the beauty of life and the shadows that hide it from our view. Or as Ratty said to Mole in the Wind In The Willows, ‘Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.’ Of course, I was not in a boat…but Ratty’s sentiment holds true for Woods as well. There is a sharing in Woods that is missing in the human family. The trees work together for the good of the forest. Rhetoric is not heard in Woods. Have you ever noticed that Rhetoric…especially Political rhetoric is taken for actual news these days? Woods have a natural order and the inhabitants of it are happy with the structure of life and abundance and they forgo the jealousy and envy and coveteousness of their cousins…the humans.

The Wind In The Willows is a perfect example of contentment among God’s creatures. Each of the characters has their own distinct personality but they appreciate each other and care for each other and work together.

Of course we can not all have a new red sweater…

‘I think a picnic is in order to celebrate Billy B.s’ Birthday,’ Jane said with enthusiasm! ‘Isn’t it a bit cold for a picnic?..it is October 19th and there are a lot of leaves on the ground,’ asked Chet as he buttoned up his woolen sweater. ‘Well, all the better…there will not be a crowd and we can make our own party,’ Neva J. laughed. ‘Yes…and it can have a Halloween theme since Billy B. was born just a week before the Holiday,’ Darryl added. ‘We shall wear our gloves and scarves and heavy sweaters,’ Neva J. said as she clapped her hands together.

Giant City State Park had been resplendent with all manner of colored leaves but the rain and the freezing temperatures have lessened their glow. The massive rock formations and the quiet, except for a fox running by with his tail in the air and the continuous knock…knock…knock of an ambitious woodpecker lent its natural solitude to Halloween reflections.

‘What flavor is the Birthday Cake,’ Chet uttered as he licked his lips in anticipation. ‘German Chocolate…it is Billy B.’s favorite,’ Neva J. answered. ‘Did you bring the Merlot,’ asked Jane. ‘I never go anywhere without it…as you know,’ Neva J. said with a giggle. ‘Let us build a fire in the fireplace in the shelter..we can roast marshmallows and cook hot dogs,’ Darryl proclaimed.

‘I remember how much Billy B.’s dad loved a picnic and he loved to take them in the fall…and even winter,’ Neva J. mused as she poured the wine. ‘Do you recall the year that we went to Karrel Park and our teeth chattered due to the cold,’ Billy B. asked. ‘Or how about Grandma Askew wringing the chicken’s necks and frying them for the celebration,’ Billy B. added. ‘I do not believe that I ever saw a more frightening event than your Grandma A. wringing those chickens’ necks…she swung them above her head and the neck just got longer and longer and then she would whip them like a bullwhip and the head remained in her hand while the headless body would run about the yard looking for it’s lost head,’ Chet said with a look of fear on his face.

‘I will never forget the look on your face when you asked me to tell you about the Devil…and it was Halloween…and I shined a flashlight on my wide grinning face and told you that I was the Devil, Neva J. laughed. ‘You scared the pee pee out of me…literally…and I still get chills when I think of how you looked and how I felt,’ Billy B. said with terror in his eyes.

As the sun set and the fire crackled…Jane said…’Let us all join hands and say…Bloody Mary…three times…I am told that she will be summoned by such a request…’

After the three utterances, it just seemed colder and more than time to leave…when Chet said, ‘You may release my hand now…you are squeezing it too tight…and when Neva J. pointed the flashlight on Chets’ hand…there was no one there…

‘I think a picnic is in order to celebrate Billy B.s’ Birthday,’ Jane said with enthusiasm! ‘Isn’t it a bit cold for a picnic?..it is October 19th and there are a lot of leaves on the ground,’ asked Chet as he buttoned up his woolen sweater. ‘Well, all the better…there will not be a crowd and we can make our own party,’ Neva J. laughed. ‘Yes…and it can have a Halloween theme since Billy B. was born just a week before the Holiday,’ Darryl added. ‘We shall wear our gloves and scarves and heavy sweaters,’ Neva J. said as she clapped her hands together.

Giant City State Park had been resplendent with all manner of colored leaves but the rain and the freezing temperatures have lessened their glow. The massive rock formations and the quiet, except for a fox running by with his tail in the air and the continuous knock…knock…knock of an ambitious woodpecker lent its natural solitude to Halloween reflections.

‘What flavor is the Birthday Cake,’ Chet uttered as he licked his lips in anticipation. ‘German Chocolate…it is Billy B.’s favorite,’ Neva J. answered. ‘Did you bring the Merlot,’ asked Jane. ‘I never go anywhere without it…as you know,’ Neva J. said with a giggle. ‘Let us build a fire in the fireplace in the shelter..we can roast marshmallows and cook hot dogs,’ Darryl proclaimed.

‘I remember how much Billy B.’s dad loved a picnic and he loved to take them in the fall…and even winter,’ Neva J. mused as she poured the wine. ‘Do you recall the year that we went to Karrel Park and our teeth chattered due to the cold,’ Billy B. asked. ‘Or how about Grandma Askew wringing the chicken’s necks and frying them for the celebration,’ Billy B. added. ‘I do not believe that I ever saw a more frightening event than your Grandma A. wringing those chickens’ necks…she swung them above her head and the neck just got longer and longer and then she would whip them like a bullwhip and the head remained in her hand while the headless body would run about the yard looking for it’s lost head,’ Chet said with a look of fear on his face.

‘I will never forget the look on your face when you asked me to tell you about the Devil…and it was Halloween…and I shined a flashlight on my wide grinning face and told you that I was the Devil, Neva J. laughed. ‘You scared the pee pee out of me…literally…and I still get chills when I think of how you looked and how I felt,’ Billy B. said with terror in his eyes.

As the sun set and the fire crackled…Jane said…’Let us all join hands and say…Bloody Mary…three times…I am told that she will be summoned by such a request…’

After the three utterances, it just seemed colder and more than time to leave…when Chet said, ‘You may release my hand now…you are squeezing it too tight…and when Neva J. pointed the flashlight on Chets’ hand…there was no one there…

A performer that I enjoy listening to used the term, A Lull Between Two Crisis. It is catchy and it is correct. The rollercoaster that is our lives consists of difficulties and then a respite…and then another problem. That famous Sage Tony Soprano told his son AJ while they were enjoying a family dinner…during the last episode of the popular HBO Series, that they were having one of the good times and that they should enjoy it. Of course, shortly thereafter his daughter entered the restaurant and the screen went black…leaving us to speculate whether a crisis was about to happen.

I was thinking about leadership…as I often do…and one leadership characteristic that is essential to causing others to want to willingly follow you is…courage. Without courage, there is little to talk about. As the Bible says, ‘Without a vision, my people perish.’ Manipulation is often mistaken for leadership. When a person who is in a power position can cause others to do what they want them to do and it is primarily for the benefit of the Power Player…they have been manipulated. The Vow, an HBO program about the cult NXIVM, had its first episode of the second season last night. This is a group where women were branded and forced into sexual servitude by the cult leader Keith Raniere. The Cults attested that they were teachers of Human Potential and Development. Well…we all want to maximize our human potential and development…do we not? This Cult appealed to movie and television celebrities and the rich and powerful and well-educated. It is amazing what the human brain will accept as truth if surrounded by a persistent lie and all those with whom you fellowship…assure you that the lie is true…

Often we fall into cults while we are seeking God and meaning in our lives. We want someone to tell us the way to go and the right path for our journey. Tribal bonds are extremely strong. Even after Raniere has been imprisoned…he still has dedicated followers.

Critical thinking is essential for our success. When we turn off our brains and placidly accept what a faux leader tells us we are a bit like sheep being led to the slaughter. Hannah Arendt wrote a book The Banality Of Evil where she conculed that the Nazi Adolph Eichmann was, ‘an ordinary, rather bland, bureaucrat, who in her words, was neither perverted nor sadistic, but terrifyingly normal. He acted without any motive other than to diligently advance his career in the Nazi bureaucracy.’

Another day in the woods was my pleasure today. Many of the leaves are holding on for dear life…others have released their grip…until next year. The cold and clear autumn air is inspiring and refreshing. The Creator’s Hand is firmly on the large wheel of our lives and is steering us to safe harbor and rest and renewal.

G.K . Chesterton said, ‘We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea…and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.’

It is cold today on the Writing Porch! Forty-eight degrees with a chill factor of 43. Fall is here. It is almost my birthday…my Medicare Birthday. If there are any of the Class of 75′ reading this they are thinking…mine too. I imbibed my usual two Grey Goose Dirty Martinis at Bartolinos’ Restaurant yesterday…for an early Birthday Dinner. Aaron bought my third traditional ‘Dirty’ that I only do on my Birthday. When I got up from the table I knew then…that the bartender had made them fully loaded. St. Louis has been my go-to City for my Birthday Dinner. As I walked about our Plaza Frontenac…which is my favorite Mall in St. Louis I saw a lovely Bentley on sale for just over a quarter of a million dollars…I came home without it. MJ and I did purchase two Memory Foam Pillows at Macy’s in the Galleria for $35 dollars each…they were original $140 apiece. What a Country as the Russian Comic used to exclaim.

Old Man Time is knocking on my door…I opened it and he came hobbling in saying that he needed a bit of a rest. I offered him my recliner and he promptly put his footrest up and began to snore. Later he awakened and asked what inning the ball game was in as he said that he could not see the fine print on the television. He asked me where the restroom was and noted that he preferred to never be too far from one. I promptly told him that I walked daily and took photos and blogged…and he smiled and said…’Keep it up…sonny…’

Old Man Time asked if I wanted to hear a story. I said that I certainly did. He told me that the only thing certain about life is change. He noted that in his younger days he had wanted to change the world…now he is simply happy to be in it. OMT noted that he had dear friends…some had died…and others had gone on a separate journey. He told me that he had been a Christian for the majority of his life…and it had been a marvelous adventure. The Old Man told me that the secret of happiness in life is to always put others before yourself…be humble…refuse to be manipulated by those who have their welfare in mind…and not yours.

Old Man Time said that I should pay attention to nature as it has a plethora of lessons to teach us about what life is all about. He went on to say that he enjoyed a little nip of Gin…and that it was good for his rheumatism. OMT said that I should never consider animals dumb…that most of them were much smarter than humans and that they understood what we humans were saying to them…and that they understood love…

OMT said that the journey is the reward and to never take anything or anyone for granted. Everything is a gift and we are deluded if we think that we earned anything by the sweat of our brow.

Old Man Time said as he hobbled out of my front door…’The poor and the hungry and those suffering…are you…treat them accordingly…

As Old Man Time walked down my driveway he called back to me,’

The next time I come…have some Gin…