It was 40 years ago that I moved from the eastern edge of Oregon to Newberg. That’s when I started working for Barclay Press. It was at least a lifetime ago; maybe several. There was that young couple starting a family—a son and three daughters with diaper training, learning to walk, learning to ride bikes. That life included time at Shriner’s Hospital and time at places like Champoeg Park. Living and working in Jackson, Mississippi, for two and a half years was like its own little lifetime with new experiences, new friendships, and lots of learning. And then a year after returning to Oregon I began entering another world—divorce and single parenting. My current lifetime began a little more than 21 years ago when I married Cindy.

Even though all those life segments have strong connections with each other, I don’t feel very connected with the me who moved to Newberg 40 years ago. My interest in what was is strong enough to note a milestone, but the present and future is what attracts my energy.