A New Year and the Jack in the Box

All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel; the monkey thought it was all in good fun; Pop! goes the weasel! (The Jack in the Box song)

The other day my son asked me to come down to Seattle to give him a hand with some projects around his place. I am always amazed at just how much the streets have shrunk over the years since I lived there. 

Driving through my old neighborhood (the corner where my buddies and I played stick-ball) now has a tiny concrete island (slightly larger than a trash can) stuck in the center so cars can’t go speeding through willy-nilly. That’s good for safety, but neighborhood kids can no longer experience the thrill of hitting home runs like their baseball heroes. Sad.

Driving down toward Ballard, many of the blocks that once held single family homes now host high rises and retirement centers. Parking spaces are hard to find, and the streets are so narrow it is virtually impossible for vehicles to pass one another. At one point we had to back up half a block to allow a garbage truck to continue collecting trash from bins that lined the street on both sides.

I find myself waxing nostalgic whenever I drop into Seattle. It is no longer the town I grew up in. My heart is still there, to some degree, but I’ll confess I’m pleased as punch the rest of me is elsewhere. The roads are too narrow, traffic has them clogged 24/7, and (to be honest), it has the look, sound, and vibe of a city that has lost its groove.

It is probably quite natural to think of the past and ponder the future, having come to the end of 2022 and the beginnings of 2023. I’ll admit that I enjoy life and have few regrets about the past. There are things I would do differently, of course, with the wisdom garnered from hindsight, but by-and-large, the past is what it is and what it was, and that is that. There is nothing to be gained from getting bogged down in it.

I take the same approach with the future, although it’s filled with unknowns. If one approaches life as if they are in a thriller or a horror movie, then it is what lies just out of sight, around the next corner, or behind that can fill one with a sense of dread and high anxiety. 

On the other hand, if one approaches life with the eyes-wide-open curiosity and wonder of a young child, then it is what lies out of sight that draws and fascinates them. A child lives to explore. A child lives to chatter endlessly with any set of ears nearby (doll, dog, cat, adult, other child) to express what they think or feel, or to enquire as to why things are the way they are.

Somewhere down the road, of course, some stop exploring. Some stop wondering. Some come to a fork in that road and freeze with indecision. I think some of this angst finds its source in their childhood jack in the box experiences. You know, some kids listen to the tune as the handle is cranked, then suddenly, up pops Jack! This startles them, of course, the first time they experience it. They may be traumatized (fearing sudden surprises), or they may experience a jolt of adrenaline and zip through life wanting more.

Over time, most learn to listen to the music, discover the patterns inherent in the mechanical contraption, and prepare themselves for Jack to make his appearance. Some flee, some give chase, but most learn to anticipate and to plan, and to accept what comes with good humor. 

That’s what I like to do as I approach a new year. I don’t bother with resolutions (most of which I’ll never get around to trying, anyway). 

Rather, I approach the flip of the calendar with eyes wide open, listening to the song of the stars (which are far more magical than the weasel-pop song), and anticipating the joy of wonders yet to be revealed. 

I pray for life not to go gray, dull, and narrow like the streets of Seattle, but to be colorful, bright, and wide like the highway to heaven, for that is truly where we’re headed here in this, our dependable, uncrowded valley.

Keith Axberg writes on matters concerning life and faith. Author of: Who the Blazes is Jesus? Good News for a Vulgar World (available through Amazon in Print and e-book)