With Christmas coming Nanette and I would like to give everyone here an early present.
It is a gift -- and like all gifts -- must be opened to appreciate it.
What we want to give you is the "thing" that not only compelled us to decide to pursue this wonderful life style but has become a cornerstone of our philosophy of life.
It is something that was written a long time ago and it is entitled "The Station".
Our wish is that these words find a place of meaning or perhaps give inspiration to those that are either new to this life style or are contemplating it...
In order to stay within Copyright laws we must provide a link instead of post the text here.
Please use this link and take some time to read the words and see if you agree with the philosophy that Robert Hastings so aptly puts forth.
http://robertjhastings.net/
-- Edited by Ranger375 on Wednesday 9th of December 2009 06:05:42 AM
GENECOP said
06:52 AM Dec 9, 2009
Thankyou, great morning read, G
eagleshea said
07:01 AM Dec 9, 2009
WOW, what else can be said but Thank you !!!!
janieD said
07:22 AM Dec 9, 2009
That is an inspiring piece. I bookmarked it as I may need to read it regularly to keep myself "in the moment". Thanks for sharing.
Dan and Gail said
10:11 AM Dec 9, 2009
We actually attended church with Dr. Hastings (he preferred to be called Bob) and his wife for several years. He was a rather shy man; never one to toot his own horn. He was a friend, confidant and mentor to both of us. He had a wonderful sense of humor and many times would use that sense of humor to help keep things on an even keel. During church meetings, he would hardly be noticed as he sat quietly and observed all that was being said. Then just as it appeared that tempers might be getting out of hand, he would summarize his thoughts of the idea, always with a little humor thrown in, and peace would reign and all was well. :) He really didn't like being in the limelight
The Illinois Baptist State Association published a monthly newsletter back in the early 70's and Dr. Hastings wrote a column for the newspaper which included excerpts from "Tinyburg Tales." That was the first column I read before reading the rest of the paper.
We still have our autographed copies of "A Nickel's Worth of Skim Milk." And "The Station" is framed and hanging in our daughter's house. I have another copy in my Bible.
Thank you for posting here and reminding us of our dear friend.
Speedhitch said
10:20 AM Dec 9, 2009
This is right on the mark...I hear of so many people saying as soon as we get this done and that completed we are going to do this that and the other. Well this says it all...while you're doing all that you are missing the moment. The moment you are in is what it is all about and you must enjoy that moment and all the others that will come. Life is what you make of it. I hope that all our Dreamer friends out there read this and understand what it really means. Take care and enjoy the moment.
Luvglass said
10:31 AM Dec 9, 2009
Thank you so much for that, so true, so true!
Acorn said
04:30 PM Dec 9, 2009
..... touches the heart with warmth and truth. Thanks so much.
Hi there Ranger and thanks so much for sharing!! We can't read it often enough!!
A great reminder to savor every moment.......and a lovely Christmas gift!
Thanks and we sure hope to meet you guys one day! HUGS! Bob & Molly
DreamerBob said
10:13 PM Dec 9, 2009
Thanks - a really great inspiration for this and any other lifestyle.
Ranger375 said
05:23 AM Dec 10, 2009
We are so happy at the posts we see here regarding our little present.
We were talking to some friends yesterday (as they helped us pack) about the philosophy of life that is represented in The Station.
As we talked about it something dawned on me.
Since Nanette and I have embraced this idea we have found that is requires an active conscience approach. In other words to truly live in the moment we have to keep a watch on our selves.
We find that if we just let life take over it will eventually drag us into it's web of worries. Before we know it we are back in the rat race and trying to solve imagined problems that haven't even happened yet.
I guess it is like the old computer thing called GI-GO (garbage in - garbage out). We seem to get what we ask for, or even worse what the world asks for.
Perhaps it is a habit thing -- or a conditioned response thing -- I am not sure.
Habits are powerful things -- and to change them one must bring them to the surface -- face them and then overwrite them.
I once had a friend of mine show me personally what happens when a habit is brought to the forefront.
We were golfing together with 2 other friends -- he leans over to me and says -- watch this.
As one of our friends was getting ready to address the ball -- he said to him.
"You know I have been watching you."
"I have a question."
"When you make your back swing do you inhale or exhale?"
Any of you that golf will appreciate what happened next.
If I ever wanted to see a habit fall apart then this was it. Once our friend took his swing off of automatic and concentrated on his breathing things got interesting.
He lost that automatic swing -- almost completely missed the ball -- and where it went is one for the ages to figure out.
I have learned that when we are acting on habit is comes natural -- without forethought -- and the results are very consistent.
The problem is those results can be consistently bad or consistently good.
Bad habits are as easily learned as good ones...after all...they are just habits they have no conscious.
So...we continue our daily journey of becoming aware of and then overwriting our bad habits that have been given to us by this 'ol life.
Ones that include living life in the moment and making a conscience decision each day to be happy -- and above all not simply leaving it up to the world to decide our happiness for us.
We hope to meet you all on the road too someday...this is actually one of the things we look most forward to.
We really aren't this serious all the time -- we do have a sense of humor -- and a very adventurous side -- all this transition has us thinking about serious things lately. But we feel we are the better for it.
Ken and Nanette
Tim & Robyn said
10:10 AM Dec 10, 2009
Thank you for this Christmas gift.... and it really is a gift, more to be treasured than any material thing anyone could receive if it results in a positive life change for those who receive it.
It's actually a very spiritual and philosophical thread we have going here, but I think it really does tie into the fulltime RV lifestyle, explaining in a lot of ways what the attraction is in this lifestyle. It doesn't apply only to this lifestyle, however; I really think it applies to all of life.
Yesterday is unchangeable, tomorrow is unknowable, so today, right now, is all we really have. Should you plan for the future? Absolutely... but you shouldn't let that paralyze your present, because that's all you really have... Each day that passes brings you closer to that day when the final checkout will happen; but the odds from any given day to the next are very small.
I lost my wife last July.... she had told me many times that she wouldn't want me to grieve forever. And so to honor her and her wishes for me, I am beginning to get on with the rest of my life. This 'gift' helped me to bring it all into focus this morning when I read it.
Thanks....
Ranger375 said
05:45 AM Dec 11, 2009
Tim,
There are "moments of truth" in life that take you by surprise sometimes.
Your post is one of those. As I read your words I found myself newly inspired.
This inspiration came not this time by the words of Robert Hastings but by you.
There is no way I can know what you feel -- I can however -- know how you choose to deal with how you feel by your words.
The worries of today and fears of tomorrow that I have pale in comparison to what you have experienced.
To see someone put into action a philosophy when up against an event such as you experienced very effectively places into perspective what living is all about.
Nanette and I want to tell you that with all of our heart we wish you all the best in the happiness which you chose to pull out of life on a daily basis.
We wish you happiness and fulfillment in all that you do.
Thank you for sharing.
Ken and Nanette
-- Edited by Ranger375 on Friday 11th of December 2009 05:46:09 AM
It is a gift -- and like all gifts -- must be opened to appreciate it.
What we want to give you is the "thing" that not only compelled us to decide to pursue this wonderful life style but has become a cornerstone of our philosophy of life.
It is something that was written a long time ago and it is entitled "The Station".
Our wish is that these words find a place of meaning or perhaps give inspiration to those that are either new to this life style or are contemplating it...
In order to stay within Copyright laws we must provide a link instead of post the text here.
Please use this link and take some time to read the words and see if you agree with the philosophy that Robert Hastings so aptly puts forth.
http://robertjhastings.net/
-- Edited by Ranger375 on Wednesday 9th of December 2009 06:05:42 AM
The Illinois Baptist State Association published a monthly newsletter back in the early 70's and Dr. Hastings wrote a column for the newspaper which included excerpts from "Tinyburg Tales." That was the first column I read before reading the rest of the paper.
We still have our autographed copies of "A Nickel's Worth of Skim Milk." And "The Station" is framed and hanging in our daughter's house. I have another copy in my Bible.
Thank you for posting here and reminding us of our dear friend.
Hi there Ranger and thanks so much for sharing!! We can't read it often enough!!
A great reminder to savor every moment.......and a lovely Christmas gift!
Thanks and we sure hope to meet you guys one day!
HUGS!
Bob & Molly
We were talking to some friends yesterday (as they helped us pack) about the philosophy of life that is represented in The Station.
As we talked about it something dawned on me.
Since Nanette and I have embraced this idea we have found that is requires an active conscience approach. In other words to truly live in the moment we have to keep a watch on our selves.
We find that if we just let life take over it will eventually drag us into it's web of worries. Before we know it we are back in the rat race and trying to solve imagined problems that haven't even happened yet.
I guess it is like the old computer thing called GI-GO (garbage in - garbage out). We seem to get what we ask for, or even worse what the world asks for.
Perhaps it is a habit thing -- or a conditioned response thing -- I am not sure.
Habits are powerful things -- and to change them one must bring them to the surface -- face them and then overwrite them.
I once had a friend of mine show me personally what happens when a habit is brought to the forefront.
We were golfing together with 2 other friends -- he leans over to me and says -- watch this.
As one of our friends was getting ready to address the ball -- he said to him.
"You know I have been watching you."
"I have a question."
"When you make your back swing do you inhale or exhale?"
Any of you that golf will appreciate what happened next.
If I ever wanted to see a habit fall apart then this was it. Once our friend took his swing off of automatic and concentrated on his breathing things got interesting.
He lost that automatic swing -- almost completely missed the ball -- and where it went is one for the ages to figure out.
I have learned that when we are acting on habit is comes natural -- without forethought -- and the results are very consistent.
The problem is those results can be consistently bad or consistently good.
Bad habits are as easily learned as good ones...after all...they are just habits they have no conscious.
So...we continue our daily journey of becoming aware of and then overwriting our bad habits that have been given to us by this 'ol life.
Ones that include living life in the moment and making a conscience decision each day to be happy -- and above all not simply leaving it up to the world to decide our happiness for us.
We hope to meet you all on the road too someday...this is actually one of the things we look most forward to.
We really aren't this serious all the time -- we do have a sense of humor -- and a very adventurous side -- all this transition has us thinking about serious things lately. But we feel we are the better for it.
Ken and Nanette
It's actually a very spiritual and philosophical thread we have going here, but I think it really does tie into the fulltime RV lifestyle, explaining in a lot of ways what the attraction is in this lifestyle. It doesn't apply only to this lifestyle, however; I really think it applies to all of life.
Yesterday is unchangeable, tomorrow is unknowable, so today, right now, is all we really have. Should you plan for the future? Absolutely... but you shouldn't let that paralyze your present, because that's all you really have... Each day that passes brings you closer to that day when the final checkout will happen; but the odds from any given day to the next are very small.
I lost my wife last July.... she had told me many times that she wouldn't want me to grieve forever. And so to honor her and her wishes for me, I am beginning to get on with the rest of my life. This 'gift' helped me to bring it all into focus this morning when I read it.
Thanks....
There are "moments of truth" in life that take you by surprise sometimes.
Your post is one of those. As I read your words I found myself newly inspired.
This inspiration came not this time by the words of Robert Hastings but by you.
There is no way I can know what you feel -- I can however -- know how you choose to deal with how you feel by your words.
The worries of today and fears of tomorrow that I have pale in comparison to what you have experienced.
To see someone put into action a philosophy when up against an event such as you experienced very effectively places into perspective what living is all about.
Nanette and I want to tell you that with all of our heart we wish you all the best in the happiness which you chose to pull out of life on a daily basis.
We wish you happiness and fulfillment in all that you do.
Thank you for sharing.
Ken and Nanette
-- Edited by Ranger375 on Friday 11th of December 2009 05:46:09 AM