“When I’m Sixty-Four”
When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out till quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four…*
Written and Performed By_______.
Dear Fellow Hikers,
Looking back, my seminary studies could be described as an alternative track to ordination. My coursework covered eight years of study in a variety of environments. I studied… at Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota, at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkley California, through remote learning on-line, and in contextual learning at a variety of Law Enforcement Agencies and Lutheran Churches throughout Minnesota. I reached a critical milepost in my seminary studies during my eighth year, while at PLTS. I was struggling with, and worn out from, my education path. Frustrated with essentially everything, but with a focus on figuring out where I belonged. I decided to go to a trusted professor for some guidance. (Not really expecting any real help, just wanting to complain.) I asked bluntly, “Where exactly do I fit with all these people looking for traditional pastor work?” His answer was immediate and calm… “You don’t. But there are people who believe that what you are doing is important. And as long as you keep doing the work, doing your best, eventually it will all work out.” And through that journey, I continued to slog along in the darkness, but also developed a healthy stride, hiking in the light… and thankfully the light prevailed.* Without a trusted elder who let me know exactly where I stood… made me aware of my place, helped me assess my options, and develop a healthy plan for reaching the end of that trail… I wouldn’t be here, writing you today.
In today’s letter I want to share some thoughts about the place where I currently stand in the context of my Life Hike journey. That journey consists of three separate thru-hikes* on three separate trails. My three trails are… The Childhood Trail (CHT), The Adulthood Trail (AHT) and The Elderhood Trail (EHT). The big difference between a traditional thru-hike and a Life Hike (other than the obvious fact that one is real and the other is simply a metaphor) is that the thru-hike is measured in miles and the Life Hike is measured in time. The Life Hike trail distances (time spent on each trail in years) are decided entirely by the person hiking the trail, based on their own personal circumstances. For instance in my case, my Childhood Trail begins at birth and ends at age 24. I picked 24 to begin my Adulthood Trail because that was the year I began my first full-time job with actual benefits, complete with health care. It was also the year when I got married. I decided to start my Elderhood Trail…obviously!… when I turned sixty-four! That’s 24 years as a child, 40 years as an adult, and using my parents lives as a guide to estimate my longevity, I’m looking at about 30 years as an elder… until I return to dust. (Genesis 3:19)
The Elderhood Trail… Now, as I’ve officially completed my time on the Childhood and Adulthood Trails, I am filled with gratitude, apprehension, excitement, and some simple joy to be on my way traveling the Elderhood Trail! I’ll be in touch…
With Care and Gratitude, Dan
PostScript…
Re: *When I’m Sixty-Four… If you are 64 or over, and don’t know this song, I’m just sad. If you’re under 64 and don’t know this song I’ll cut you some slack. I’m not gonna tell you who wrote and performed it, but I will suggest you do a little research and learn a very valuable musical history lesson.
Re: *and the light prevailed… “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 NIV
Re: *Thru-Hiking… Trails most associated with thru-hiking often take several weeks or months to complete, but any completed end-to end trail in a single hiking season is technically a thru-hike. Our Life Hike metaphor models the Triple Crown of Thru-Hikes in the US: The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail.
Next Up: “Travels With Dan” (Friday, 01/31/25, S1/L9)