The Records For Eternity: A Cowboy’s Faith

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By Frank J. Buchman

“Sometimes it’d sure be nice to be like those folks who don’t keep anything.”

That is until something’s needed, don’t have it and no way to find or recover.

Many coworkers and family have no records whatsoever. Everything’s used, pitched, forgotten about.

Completely the opposite here, as attempt is made to retain proceedings of all happenings.

That’s the problem. Doing as many different things this many decades creates overflow.

There’s so much filed away, impossible to remember where?

This is not hoarding. It’s keeping information that’ll be of value in the future?

Elementary days’ assignments on Switzerland, the other Quantrill stored in a box in grandma’s pantry. Always knew they were there. When fire damaged that apartment, the upstairs was shut off, building sold. Wonder and haunts if those reports are still where put?

Filing became official in high school with a steel-drawered cabinet. Writings, clippings, photos of those years remain stored.

Into married ranch life, first one file-cabinet, then another, several by now. All full, and don’t know what’s in what?

Complexity increased with job filing as desk drawers were soon jam-packed. More cabinets acquired, and backroom idle ones used too.

Then suddenly three-and-a-half decades of accumulations a forced job change. Oh no, what about all these files?

Boxes and boxes were filled, with much left behind.   That “stuff” is stored in large plastic canisters. For “safe keeping” and “reference when needed,” as if could ever locate what wanted.

In new job, again desk drawers bloated, such won’t stay shut. Nearby cabinets are likewise with at least four big drawers nearly bursting.

Fortunately, modern times, said tongue-in-cheek. Stories, recordings, contracts, whatnot of diverse professional and personal life now stored on computer.

This seems better than days gone by. Still somehow things get lost, covered up. Guru was usually able to locate them. Then systems changed, and “years” were transferred.

Most is okay, yet somethings missing. They’ll likely show, but wondering until then.

Still like to keep chronicles. Personal website with an assistant is updated weekly with all new works. Hoping to eventually have every writing of life stored for perpetuity, only 2,000 to date.

Reminds of First Chronicles 4:33: “They kept good family records.” Then, Leviticus 25:30: “They shall be there in perpetuity.” Likewise, Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

+++ALLELULIA+++

XI–14–4-2-17

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