Today is Tuesday Wending and Winding its Way to Wednesday,

August 21, 2012.

The “doldrums” is something of a nautical term for those areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where nothing much is happening. The winds are not blowing, the seas are calm, and you just sit there in your old-time sailing vessel waiting for something to happen, for the wind to blow so you can get on your way.

Today is something like that. It’s in the in-between time, the space between summer and vacation ending and school and fall starting. Nothing really too much is happening. There is a lot of expectation and buying school supplies and registering and waiting, and things are about to get going, but they’re not going yet, and they will, but, “Oh, well.”

What did happen on August 21. A lot if you check, but nothing really memorable. At the end of the list on the Internet is this entry for this day, after quite a few baseball scores, for the year 959: “Erachus becomes bishop of Luik.” I think that says it well. Perhaps Erachus felt the same way. Let’s get the waiting over and the doing going.

For your information, “Luik” is the Dutch version of “Liege.” Liege is a major city in the French-speaking region of Belgium, located in the Meuse River Valley near the borders with the Netherlands and Germany. The city is quite old and very successful. It is the third most populous city in Belgium, with a rich history dating back to before Roman times. During the Middle Ages, the city was the capital of a Prince-Bishopric. It was an intellectual and cultural center whose musicians performed for the Pope and helped to promote polyphony, a many-leveled and dynamic music that introduced a new and exciting vibrancy to complement the more monotone chant of the Gregorian monks and to move Church music forward into new realms. The city is still known for its music and its folk festivals. In fact, we just missed a big one on August 15th. They look like fun, crowded and very alive events in a fun, busy and very alive city. I am sure Bishop Erachus of Luik contributed much to his city’s history and its present vibrancy, and I am sure he would very much enjoy walking the festival streets and enjoying the music today.

That’s what’s really happening in Luik. Unfortunately, it’s not what’s happening today. But it may be what will happen tomorrow and the tomorrows after that. There’s the excitement in today. That’s the fun of it. This is the getting ready time, the preparation, the building of the energy, the stir and twist, and then “Here it starts!” Wow, and off you go.

Sometimes I think we think too much of a day. We set the bar a little higher than it needs to be. Sometimes it’s okay for not too much to be happening. So, we can save our energy, collect our thoughts and start the jump forward to those really memorable times, activities and events.

Take your time today and get ready to enjoy tomorrow,

Grandpa Jim