September 25, 2009
The Second Half
Steady at the center
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
Both of us can remember a time when family members who reached a certain point in life were allowed to sit in a favorite chair and watch the rest of the world go by. Jim’s grandmother spent her final years in front of the TV shouting words of shame at the Detroit Tigers whenever they lost. That was just fine for her and we expected someday our turn to sit would come as well. Instead, we continue to live our lives at a dizzy pace. The chairs for our generation keep getting moved further and further down the road sometimes causing us to ask, “Are we there yet?”
Even young families seem to be living their lives at breakneck speed. With full-time jobs and four children under the age of six, our younger son and his wife feel as though they are living in a three-ring circus. We remember a time when life was quieter. We had to go out and find a real three-ring circus if we wanted excitement. Today you hardly ever hear about people going to the circus. So much of our entertainment is available in our homes that there is little motivation to go anywhere else.
Those of us who once looked forward to trips to the circus can remember performers spinning by their wrist or neck high above the crowd. Some years ago one of us learned how those performers were able to keep from getting dizzy while they were spinning. It has more to do with a simple law of physics than skill. Performers in those death-defying spins keep their eyes focused on the still point in the dead center of the spin. That point never moves. As long as the performer’s eyes remain fixed on the knot that holds the wrist in the loop, or the clamp at the top of the neck harness, the brain can be tricked into believing nothing is moving.
Because the North Star never appeared to move, ancient mariners could use it to find their way home. While hurricane winds can rage at more than 150 miles an hour, the center of the storm is always calm. Spiritually speaking, we seem to be a people who have lost the still point in the center of our hearts. Meanwhile, everything from our families to our government seems to be flying apart in ways that leave us dizzy. How can we find the center again?
Psalm 100 says, “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever.”Prayer continues to provide the calm in the “eye of the storm” for our generation just as it did for those who have gone before us. Staying firmly connected to the Eucharist and scripture are ways of holding the focus that never fails. For us, morning prayer steadies our feet on our daily path.
With age, the way we are able to influence others changes. Instead of running for office, working to get ahead, or seeking any kind of status, more of our life is invested in being people of prayer. If we can only stay fixed on the still point in the Center, we might become a North Star for someone in the next generation.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.