Gauging Progress

This past weekend I attended a community event centered around the Christmas holiday. It involved music, crafts, the lighting of a tree, and fireworks. They had a bunch of food trucks, but I have a thing about eating out of mobile kitchens. I know that they are very popular these days, but I think that I would rather eat something that is kept warm in the engine compartment of my car. What would be the difference?

Anyway, I attended the event and had a very nice time with my wife and daughter. It’s all very much Americana, and I love things like that. It was held at the commons within our township and the weather was perfect. The last time that I attended an event there was a couple of years ago. I remember that walking around just about left me depleted by the time we headed home. A great deal of the ground is covered in grass and I have a more difficult time walking on uneven surfaces. I didn’t last very long back then, and I honestly found a great deal of relief just getting back in the car to leave. This year was far different. I was still tired in the end, but I was nowhere near the physical mess that I was a couple of years ago. It really is a “night and day” type of comparison.

I love going to places that I last went to when I was in far worse shape. It always serves to remind me of the progress that I have made physically. These types of places allow me to rejoice a little inside as I consider where I am presently in comparison to the memory of what once was. It’s more difficult to gauge progress these days without past comparisons because I have pretty much stopped progressing in my recovery from the motorcycle accident injuries. It’s sometimes a stark reality to consider that I won’t be getting any better, but places such as the community commons this past weekend help to remind me of my progress over the years. The Christmas holiday season is filled with places that serve to remind me of progress because several of the places that we go to are strictly seasonal for us.

I think that it’s important to remind yourself of progress in every area of life. Discouragement, apathy, and a sense of defeat can never settle into our hearts when we remind ourselves that we have actually gotten somewhere over time. Today isn’t just a day in and of itself. Today is the result of time and effort in the past, and that always serves as a reminder to move forward into the days ahead.