Good Intentions........revisited

(August 2007)
Good intentions are pretty much worthless. Maybe I should clarify that. Good intentions without action are pretty much worthless. I have believed that for a long time, but I continue to prove it to myself.

Just a few miles north of Cochran, right on my way to work, someone planted several acres of sunflowers last year. That is not that uncommon in these parts, but they were just beautiful. They were planted in two plots on a southeastern facing slope and it was very picturesque. The blooms faced me each morning as I drove to work and seemed to look the other way when I returned home hot and tired (me, not them.)

They hit their prime about the week of July 4th. I fully intended to stop and take pictures one morning on the way to work, but I kept forgetting my camera. The morning that I finally remembered to bring it, I stopped and got out only to discover that the batteries were dead. When I finally got back with fresh batteries the following Saturday, it was too late. It was just another South Georgia field, drying up in another sweltering summer.

I had good intentions, but the results were no different than if had had no intentions at all.

I have reached the age that requires one to go to a lot of retirements and funerals. I thought of this story recently at an old friend’s retirement luncheon. He and I processed on base together as new federal employees on a nice Tuesday in 1973. On that day, he had been a father for two days and I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. 34+ years later, I still wonder what I need to do next. I have several years’ worth of things that I want to do “someday” but struggle with what I need to do today and tomorrow.

I have always admired men from America’s early history who seemed to be able to accomplish so much without the modern conveniences we have today. A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me if I’d been having trouble with my computer. What she meant was that I hadn’t been using it, at least how she thought I should.

When our children were small and we got our first VCR, they couldn’t understand why they couldn’t watch their favorite program any time they wanted. It is probably a harder lesson to learn for children today. They watch movies in the back seat while they are on their way to church. I guess I never really got the fact that some things need to be done now and other things can be done at any time.

Somehow, I end up doing stuff that is convenient and not doing the important stuff. My actions don’t match my intentions. Sometimes I don’t save time to do those things that I need to do for myself, my friends or my family. My backlog of neglect is pretty extensive. I am even several years behind on my New Years resolutions.

Our intentions are important, but good intentions are not enough. Doing the right thing, but not doing it at the right time is not really doing the right thing. Just like that field of flowers that I failed to “picture”, other opportunities to fulfill our intentions will pass their prime and eventually go away. I’m reminded of this every day when I pass that field on my way to work. The picture that I failed to take probably looks better in my memory that it ever would have printed and framed. That’s OK. Maybe I won’t miss the next one. Maybe you won’t either.

Epilogue
I wrote that three years ago, almost to the day. The owner of that field finally planted sunflowers again this year. I almost waited too late again. The week of July 4th, I finally stopped and took a couple of pictures. The field was not as full as it was the year I missed. I don't think that they were as pretty as before either. But you don't get that many second chances.

Just a few days later, a small ad was in the local shoppers guide inviting people to come see sunflowers just north of town. I thought, "a third chance? I can't miss this." So I got my camera and went to see.
Of course, it was the wrong time of day, the lighting was not right, and I should have gone a week earlier. I am so glad that I got a second, AND third chance.

I hope that this experience prods me to do a much better job of doing the right things at the right time. I know that I can't always expect multiple chances to get things right.

What do you think?