July 4 Trondheim Norway

 Pancakes, Priorities, and the Passage of Time

Part two. FAQ:

What does the Doctor of Divinity think about while cycling?

I recently attended a retirement conference that was put on by my rabbinic pension provider. I learned that I am approaching my second middle age. I was startled to learn that I have almost completed my first middle age, and therefore was very relieved to hear that a second one will be forthcoming.

As I approach 60, I get to remake three major decisions that I made in my 30s:

Where do I want to live? Who do I want to share my life with?

How do I want to spend my time?

I’m excited to remake these choices. It’s not that I made bad decisions the first time; I made quite good choices in all three of those areas. But I’m ready to choose again, for this new time in my life.

As I sit on my bike, and watch the miles go by, and think about all the bike touring I did in my teens, (mostly with Bill Swersey’s red, hand-me-down panniers and Peter Vilmos’ anorak raincoat) I am acutely aware of the passage of time.

I am now able to see my life as a book of connected chapters, rather than one random event following the next. That probably makes more sense to people who are older than me than people who are younger than me. But I’m starting to see the arc of my life.

I want to make sure that I use my time intentionally and thoughtfully.

It’s very easy in our culture to be consumed by our jobs, to over value our role and impact, and to believe we are irreplaceable. (Ask me to tell you about what I learned from the person who edited a used car magazine on this topic.)

I think it’s a fairly common experience that when we travel , we realize that what we thought was so important, is not. That’s definitely true for me.

I’ve had an amazing career. I’ve been a rabbi for 25 years and for 23 of them, I’ve been at the helm of the Adventure Rabbi Program. I dreamt up a novel concept and brought it to fruition. I built a program that influenced thousands of people. Astonishing.

But I’m aware that I’m not the only one who can do the work I do.

It thrills me to watch Rabbi Alan and Rebecca gradually take over the reins of the organization. I’m excited to empower them to do more and to watch them grow Adventure Rabbi in ways that I have not imagined. They have different strengths and abilities than I do and so they will build on my creation, in their own style.

And, I’m looking forward to them in their turn, feeling the fulfillment and joy that I have felt. I want that for them.

I’m ready to be doing something else.

You asked me, “What do you think about while you ride? “

I think about this:

- What do I want to do next?

- Who do I want to do it with?

- Where do I want to live?

- And are there pancakes around the next bend in the road? Steaming hot, blueberry pancakes, stacked high, and dripping with maple syrup…