There is a Season

This is a continuation of my life in songs.  Right now, it's a Willie Nelson song... "On the Road Again".  This is the time year that I'm very seldom in the office, but work a lot of hours. Which explains why I'm watching the Oscars in a hotel room instead of at home or a friend's house.  Between medical clinician educational conferences, job fairs, presentations to students and residents, clinic site visits, and health profession fairs I spend a good amount of time on the road in a rental car and in hotels.  Last week I managed to put 3 events into 3 days: a presentation to the Family Medicine Interest Group at UT Southwestern Medical School; a site visit to Mission East Dallas, where I got to reconnect with a colleague and put a face to several calls and e-mails; and exhibiting at the TX Academy of Physician Assistants spring conference. 

After getting home yesterday afternoon, I was home log enough to sleep in my bed for a night, catch up on missed episodes of NCIS, go to church, change out suitcases, then hit the road again.  I was asked how I was this morning, and my response was "The normal level of crazy".  Some days are more crazy than others.  I was thankful for this morning where I could slow down for an hour or so at church.  

This coming week is known as "Swing Week" for 5 undergraduate universities to have their health professions fairs. This is something I do every year, and have done it often enough that I see the same people, and continue to build professional relationships.  We start with the University of Houston, then Texas A & M University, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas San Antonio, and finish with Texas State University.  

In the midst of this, I'm also trying to plan events for the Women's Ministry at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms, including a fall retreat where my friend Lora Jones, will be the speaker.  

As I read what I've written, I'm starting to think that during this period my life isn't in songs as much as it is in links.  Mainly because I'm looking at how many links are in this post and the professional links I'm building and renewing.  Thankfully this season is a short one (like winter in TX) because it's quite tiring.

To Everything...

There are times when it seems that my life is a series of songs; and the song depends on the day/month/season of my life.  It could be new songs such as "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor, or old ones, like "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds: "To everything, turn, turn, turn.  There is a season, turn, turn, turn".  If either song is stuck in your head now, I make no apologies, in fact, I'm probably laughing [insert evil laugh: mwa ha ha ha].  The laughing part comes from a game we played while I was a student at Kansas State University, where you'd randomly insert lyrics into a conversation and see if you could get a song stuck in someone's head. If you did, then you won (mainly bragging rights - style points depending on how it was done.)  Thanks to Chuck and Rob for introducing me to that game.

    

I brought the game with me to the University of Texas where I had a whole new playing field.  There I advanced it to an art form after conditioning a friend to the point where Burke hears "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" in his head without using lyrics and simply saying "German hymn".  [insert more evil laughter].  Apparently Pavlov and Martin Luther make a good team.  

In all fairness, I fall victim to it too; and not just because I have a former roommate who was a musician; and several friends who are musicians.  During today's sermon at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms, I found myself hearing Kim Hill's song "Charm is Deceitful" because Pastor Russell was preaching from Proverbs 31, focusing for a while on verse 30: "Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain...".  Normally I have a problem when the Proverbs 31 woman comes up because I know that I am very far from being one.  I've always thought that becoming one was impossible, mainly because it covers things involving a husband and family, neither of which I have.  However focusing on the fear of Lord, makes it seem more attainable.  

I'm always working on coming to grips with my imperfections, and fixing them when possible. This is one more step.

Post Script:  A song about seasons is also appropriate today as I watch the blue birds flitting through the trees outside my house on a warm sunny day.  I hesitate to say "spring" day because even though it feels like spring, it's still February.  One more reason I love living in central TX.