By Glenn Koster
Walking Through Life
Now that my walk is complete and we are back in town, I have begun to plan for our future. Considering that both my wife and I recently celebrated our 71st birthdays, you can imagine what those plans might include. Our first venture will be a trip to Branson, Mo., in early September. However, as we have been making those plans, I have also been battling issues in my left eye that will likely be lasting. The combination has left me pondering many things.
In order to plan for the future, one needs to truly have vision. Such a dilemma has caused me to think deeply. The result is two different thoughts that continue to run through my head.
They truly are related thoughts. The first one simply says, “One’s best vision is achieved through the use of one’s brains, not one’s glasses.” The second thought takes it a bit deeper and I concluded, “The best things that we see in life are rarely seen simply through our eyes.”
No matter how good (or bad) our physical vision is, we need to dig a little deeper in developing a vision for our future. We truly need to learn to use our brains. Let me explain.
First, we need to use our brains to establish our plans. For example, it wouldn’t do much good to plan a snowmobile vacation for July. It would not make much sense to plan a golfing trip to Michigan in January. On a deeper level, we also need to consider special events in an area, funding needs, and how secluded we are seeking to become.
Secondly, often it becomes essential to dig into the history of something before you focus plans around it. One of our plans includes visiting Coffeyville. Without an understanding of the Dalton Gang or the importance of the oil industry in the area, we might miss out on a lot.
Finally, we may need to truly change the way we look at what we see (or how we see it). When you have deep vision problems like I do, a camera with a zoom lens becomes an inseparable friend. Your friends on social media might also benefit when you share those close-up (or zoomed in) photos.
Another aspect of how we see things is learning to look for the unique aspect of something. Over the weekend, we enjoyed Yoder Heritage Day and the parade along Yoder’s Main Street. Rather than just focusing on the people, vehicles, and animals strutting by, I began to look a bit deeper and focused some attention on what the various organizations do in a community. I was thrilled at what I learned.
Remember, this column is known as “Walking Through Life.” The challenge to each of you is to begin looking at things at a different level. Do not simply settle for what you see through your eyes. Dig deeper. Learn value. Expand your vision! What you learn to see may truly amaze you.
Glenn Koster is a former reporter, a retired pastor, and a retired IT professional who spends most of his time now walking and working with various Reno County non-profits. He can be reached at Glenn.Koster@gmail.com or by phone at 620-960-4492.