Getting older isn’t easy, matter of fact, judging by the headline for the Bull this week, it certainly wears on the soul, but as I age, it wears on me.
Most of the time, I am young, or at least I feel young. I have plenty of energy left in me, but at times, especially when I’m dragged down by little things, that eventually lead to bigger things, it’s taxing on me.
We’ve been through a lot of change over the course of my 17 years here at the Clay County News, some really good..some good, some really hard to simply hard.
In short, I’ve covered tough moments, fires, death’s, and equally, some really amazing moments and people, such as state championships, and so much more.
I hit a hard stop Sunday evening this past week within my own personal self though.
My nephew Rowen will be graduating from high school in mid-May. It’s one of those “oh my goodness moments” for me. Where did the time go, and how did it go so darn fast?
Before I moved to Clay County, I was able to be present for his birth, his arrival in this world...his craziness into this world, if you will.
Rowen and I, since the Howe family moved from Lincoln to a small town in Iowa have drifted apart somewhat. He grew up slowly, but somehow, very quickly as well. He’s become a young adult. He thinks he knows about the world of life, and is invincible. He’s become a young man of his own will.
What ages my soul? I’ll soon be 62 in September, Rowen never met our father, or mother, but he certainly is well aware of who they are, and were. It’s just kind of a weird feeling for me knowing that he’s going to be off into the second stage of his life in a few short months.
Rowen has his path set, at least to start. He’ll head to Iowa State University this fall. He’s set in his ways, and I missed 95 percent of his high years, because of the requirements of this newspaper business, which is on me, and the fact that to do what I do each week counts me out a lot.
I knew that when I made the choice to get into this business many years ago, heck, even back in high school, I knew this was my calling.
I watched my parents do the best that they could to balance life as newspaper folks with life outside of this business, a business that like any other business can be taxing, and it certainly wears on the soul, and even the heart at times. Newspapering does wear on my personal self, it makes it hard on the soul, but I also know my sister, Tara, and brotherin- law Milt have done a phenomenal job of bringing this “little nugget” of a kid, Rowen, to be a kid ready for his next stage of the world...college.
As much as it wears on my soul, and my heart, good luck buddy as you delve into the next steps in life.
Love ya Henry!! (An inside joke he will get when his mom “makes him read this,” the Bull this week.
It’s going to be odd to say the least when the day comes that he heads to Ames, takes that next big step in life, and learns that sometimes, the next steps are the hardest, and perhaps you learn more about life than even a teenager thinks they know now.
As I reflect on my own life, my own choices and directions, I too was that way when I headed down Highway 30 some 19 miles from Shelton to Kearney to college.
I “knew it all,” but in reality, I knew that I didn’t, that each day was a day of growing, learning and stubbing my toes.
Life lessons, now at 61, soon to be 62 look different, they come from a different perspective, they do at times wear on my soul, but they are lessons that still come with each passing day.
