Publishers Perspective
– By Josh Warburton –
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn)… so the song goes. And really, so goes life. The longer I live, and the longer I continue to do many of the same things day after day, I am constantly in awe of all the change going on in and around me.
I’ve spent a lot of time by myself these last couple of years. But not only by myself but also with myself, meaning, while I have not gone out of my way to avoid others (with the possible exception of the onset and certain periods of Covid) I have gone out of my way to prioritize solo time, or “Josh time” as I refer to it. Whether it be for a few minutes of still meditation at the beginning of the day, tinkering on the weekends or afternoons in my garage, or just working in the yard, it’s when I find out who I am…but I could use even more time for such things.
The older I get the more introspective I’ve become. Why do I do the things I do? Why does anyone? What’s the meaning of all this? Is there a point, or are we here to find our own purpose for existence? Maybe it’s my age, I’m definitely feeling a midlife crisis kinda vibe lately. The feeling of a need to shake things up. Redefine myself. Create something new, or learn a new skill. And also…
Another side of me appreciates the stability I’ve had overall in my life the last handful of years. Sure the pandemic threw us a number of curveballs, but mostly my life stayed the same. And that sameness of the last two years was added to the 24 prior years of doing the same thing, publishing this paper. And I’d been working almost exclusively from home for around five years at that point.
So like so many of us, I guess I want it all! I want some new challenges, new goals, and new experiences, as well as the foundations of stability, safety, predictability. Maybe it’s because we have a little too much freedom here in the good ‘ol U. S. of A…? But I’m not really interested in living anywhere with less freedom than we have. So I circle back around to where I end up most of the time…trying to find the balance between the new and the predictable. And to just go with the flow.
Life and the world are always changing. There is an armed conflict in the world…but there always is. There are forces working against us and people who wish for our demise…but there always are. There are some really crappy things happening right now with our economy in the ways of inflation, supply chain issues, energy supply problems, and global economic instability, to name a few…but still at the end of the day the only things we can control are our reactions to them. Yes, I do realize that I have the luxury of being insulated, financially stable, and with more choices than most…and also, just like you I get to decide how I respond to all the crazy things going on around me. So while I don’t recommend putting your head in the sand, be mindful of the sounds and images you consume, and be aware that no matter what we do, graphic images and even ideas can impact any of us long term.
So keep your head up, and your gas use down. Help who you can, when you can, and be sure to be a friend to yourself. Big hugs!
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