Songs of Youth and Reflections

Sixty thousand years ago, the bow and arrow was "invented", whatever that means. Then, the device seems to have "disappeared" for over thirty thousand years at which point it was used with a vengeance both in terms of its popularity and its intended use (at least from the point of view of the recipient of the arrow).

Around ten thousand years ago, the agricultural revolution "started", whatever that means. Agricultural certainly was not invented at that time, but it was around then that people developed the ability to work with some parts of nature (hence, controlled irrigation) and in doing so, they were able to grow more food than was needed for their immediate needs and they no longer had to rely on the ability to kill wild animals (some days that worked and the people were satiated, other days it didn't work and the people remained hungry. and some days, it didn't wok and the wild animals ate well).

As a result of man's "advance", whatever that means, it became necessary to store the harvest and to protect the stored harvest. And so, armed forces were used (undoubtedly using the bows and arrows that had been developed just twenty or fifty thousand years ago, depending on one's point of view).

Some four thousand years ago, Abraham comes onto the world stage, whatever that means, but it was a stage that already was well established and then around five hundred years later, there was "Moses", whatever that means (another revolution).

Around two thousand five hundred years ago, Darius the Great, whatever that means, ruled much of his world, and enjoyed archaeology as a pastime (maybe he was looking for the roots of the agricultural revolution but even for him, that was long in the past).

Two thousand years ago, we have Jesus as a world changer with the start of a religious revolution, whatever that means.

Around fourteen hundred years ago, we have Mohammed as another world change with the start of a different religious revolution, whatever that means.

Some thousand years ago, Leif Erickson becomes the first European to "discover" North America, whatever that means because it probably never was lost but it became forgotten because then some five hundred years ago, Columbus "discovers" North America all over again.

Some two hundred thirty years ago, the United States is born, whatever that means.

Some one hundred fifty years ago, the Civil War almost kills the United States, whatever that means.

Some ninety and some seventy years ago, the World Wars threaten to bring an end to life as we know it, whatever that means.

Some (almost) fifty-seven years ago, I was born and in less than fifty years, I will be dead, whatever that means.

So, although my life seems short to me in terms of how quickly it is going by, it is oh so much shorter when taking into account the history of the world, whatever that means.

So, do you know what this means? If you do, let me know, because I don't?

I do know this, however. I can travel into the past by listening to music with each song taking me back to the time that I listened to it - I become young again.

I do know this, too. I can be brought to reality by looking in a mirror for it is then I see the the lines of life etching their way into my face, etching that certainly is taking place internally for I now feel parts of my body that before were silent partners, but no more.

So, although there is little to do about the body parts that are crying out, I think that I will cover the mirrors and turn on the oldies, and just live this short lifetime with a song of my youth on my lips and a smile on my face, for life, no matter how long, is short, it is very short.

And if they can lose the bow and arrow and North America, think how quickly memory of one's life can be lost, whatever that means.