It’s Sunday morning and the faithful have gathered. Not even the pastor can resist the temptation of a “next year” quip. It’s an appropriate day to consider how to balance looking back and moving forward. I’m sitting in the balcony this morning on the right-hand side. Across from me on the main floor are a couple of pews that site against the back wall. The access isle around the back of the semi-circle pattern of Hometown Friends Church gives these seats plenty of leg room, but it also creates a bit of separation. This is where my friend the retired, silver-haired academic sits each week. He spent his career surrounded by people and his choice of seats makes me a little uncomfortable. I prefer looking forward compared to looking back. My friend has a lot to look back on and I wonder how this affects the forward vs. backward balance. I wonder what kind of challenge I face as the years continue to pile on.