Life is full of changes, pitfalls and opportunities, and sudden shifts in direction. A door closes, a door opens, a door you thought was open doesn't remain open long enough to pass through. For a long time, an aspect of life may seem to be continuous, reliable and steady. Then all of a sudden everything changes. The last few months have been one of those times.
To begin with, my father passed away a month or two ago. Readers of my blog may recall my writing about him. Raymond Lang was probably the defining influence of my life. While we didn't see eye to eye on many things, more than anyone else in life, he made me the person I am today. His passing was a loss to our entire family. Yet one result of his illness and passing was that our family has come closer together. In all of my adventures with UFOs, close encounters, the phenomenal realm, etc., I realized how vital it was to take time out to enjoy the love of those around you. Life is fragile and temporary.
A few other milestones loom over this writer's life path - one of those being an upcoming 60th birthday. Just like seeing my father laying Ill and then dying, my upcoming entry into the golden years reminds me how temporary and fragile life really Is. As a few people I know have passed away, and as my business, UFO research endeavors and other possible aspects of life shift in subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ways, I realize again just how vital it is to put things like UFO research into the greater perspective. We need to ask what is truly important in life.
I have watched peoples' lives change as a result of their interactions with "Them, out there". In many ways, the phenomenon takes you by the scruff of the neck, shakes you up side down, then dumps you into a world different from any you thought you knew before. If you had told me back in 1996 when I first began to get involved in MUFON work, how it would so totally change my life, I would never have believed you. Yet now, twenty years later it has transformed my life completely - for better or for worse.
In the words of a dear friend of mine, "It is what it is". I cannot change the past, nor would I want to. And I certainly could never see the future. My all-consuming interest in UFOs perhaps even derailed a career in corporate America, while sending me on a path of inquiry and adventure leading I know not where. Yet it has led me to launch my hypnosis practice and any number of other ventures. I suspect it has a few other big surprises in store for me down the road. In the end, they will all be positive, but probably with a lot of bumps along the way.
Where is all of this going? I don't know. But in one way or another, God is showing me how, in the midst of a life of dizzying change, we need to hold on to those things and people we hold dear, such as family, friends, beliefs and spirit. If you love someone, hold them and tell them. Whatever is on your bucket list - do it while you can. Don't put it off until tomorrow. In a few cases I've seen recently, life may not be there tomorrow.
The mysteries of UFO research can be all consuming. They turn life upside down and at times we can almost forget nearly every other aspect of life. Yet the events of the last few months have taught me one vital thing. In the midst of the vast unknown, we need to remember to live life. Be here now.
