15 Years on the Erie Canal

15 years on the Erie Canal...that song rings in my ears and I see myself at Oak Street Elementary School sitting in the metal chairs and watching Ms. Gully play the piano.  I am in music class.  Music class had nothing to do with recorders or triangles but me, myself and my classmates sitting and singing old songs to the piano.  15 Years on the Erie Canal!
The Erie Canal indeed.  I guess, according to history, it took people fifteen years to dig this little canal between Southern Ohio all the way to Northern Ohio and quite possibly Cleveland.  My friend Scott Jenkins always, always, always, without fail, would ask Ms. Gully to play it for us.  From 4th to 6th grade we sang it over and over and over again.
Why bring up those fifteen years?  I dunno, but I have an inkling that change is about to happen to me in my life.  My daughter is going to be a senior this year and off to college she will be going.  Where? That is left to be determined.  That will be a big change in my life and so I am thinking about my future.  I guess that happens when you are old.  What do I want to discover?  What is coming up on the horizon?  I have an itch.  Yes, an itch to make a change.  A new car?  Do I want to study nursing?  Do I want to move to Ohio?  Do I want to...to...I dunno, but what do know is that I do not want to be stuck in a rut. I feel stuck in a rut and I am learning, very quickly that this rut has got to go.  So in ten months from now, I will be free to choose new things for my life.  Will I change jobs?  Will I pursue my masters in creative writing?  Will I?  I don't know, but the countdown has started.  T-10 months!    Not 15 years on any canal, but 10 months, 10 months, 10 months and then...new story...new song! To be continued!