Don’t you hate it when one of your favorite stores closes down? We had a feed store in town that creaked with old age. The wooden floors squeaked and groaned as we wandered about wondering about all the interesting farm things. It wasn’t as if we would ever need or purchase cow dehorning equipment. We went there to get bags of wild bird seed, but I was fascinated by the baby chicks and the cat that ruled the place without eating the chicks. There was this great smell of grain mixed with salt licks and leather straps that I have no idea of their purpose. It was another world apart from my academic realm of smelly old books. But now it is gone. There is another feed store in town but it’s a metal building with a concrete floor. It isn’t anywhere nearly as nostalgic and exotic as the old wooden building with the deteriorated shingle roof.
Why does everything have to change? Today was the last day of classes for this semester. I have grown to enjoy my students, some of whom I will see again next semester because they are psyc majors, but the students of other majors who took my class as an elective will move on. Perhaps the next time I see them will be on graduation day as they move across the stage in their academic peacockery. I would like to hug them but they would not understand an old man’s pride in their success. They might return on alumni day and I will be embarrassed because I will not remember their names. Shame on me, but I can blame it on a senior moment or some other such human weakness.
Our college town was founded in 1653. That was 46 years before Jamestown,Virginia. The town cemetery is filled with people who never heard of the United States. When they died Massachusetts was a British colony. I have come to know the only thing that doesn’t change is God’s love for us.
There’s an anchor we can count on. See Malachi 3.
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 4, 2008
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574