Tag: jeff noel

Happiness In Mid Life

Happiness in Mid Life.

“The happiness of life is made up of the minute fractions – the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment”.   — Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet

Everyday, I challenge myself to do as many “seemingly insignificant” things I can to bring happiness to others.

My mid-life challenge?  It’s easy for me, with people I can see. It’s much more difficult, so far, to do this with people I can’t physically see – like family and friends in others states or towns.

I pray I get better at this. The excuse I often lean on is, “It’s a two-way street, and it’s also their responsibility to reach out to me too.  So, if they’re not doing it, than maybe I don’t need to either”.

What a pathetic load of garbage. This is not the attitude I want my son (nine) to remember me having.

Looks like I have a lot of work to do this week. And I better get started. My mid-life happiness depends on it.

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Roger Bannister

Roger Bannister, the first human to run one mile in less than four-minutes, said:

“I sometimes think that running has given me a glimpse of the greatest freedom a man can ever know, because it results in the simultaneous liberation of both the mind and body…..  The runner does not know how or why he runs.  He only knows that he must run…..  We run, not because it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves”. —  1956

Prior to 1956, people said running under four-minutes was essentially impossible for the human body to withstand.  There were others, like Roger Bannister, who knew it was inevitable.

Simply a matter of time before the impossible becomes possible, and then, before you know it, the impossible becomes business as usual.

Sometimes, I think certain things are impossible at mid-life.

Then I think about people like Roger Bannister.

And then I start to wonder when it will simply be, business as usual.

Make it a GREAT day, and may all your impossible dreams come true.  Carpe diem,  jeff noel 🙂

Wish You Were Beautiful!

Yes.  It’s a line in a song from Jimmy Buffett’s CD, Coconut Telegraph.

“The weather is here, wish you were beautiful”.

I used to travel all over the country, from 18 years old to 24.  Traveled by bus, car, foot and bicycle.

One year, I wound up in Pullman, Washington and called it home for a while.  My best friend was a Residence Hall Director at Washington State University.

Anyway, back to the point of this post.  In the 1970’s & 80’s, I was an avid post card sender.  It fit my budget.  🙂

Whenever I was somewhere warm, and sometimes cold but spectacular, and my friends back in Pennsylvania were cold and gloomy, I’d send them a post card.

Californian Coast, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon, Key West, Yellowstone, Bourbon Street, Times Square, Appalachian Trail – you get the picture, right?

So yesterday, I’m enjoying lunch with my family and Jimmy Buffett’s song is playing.  My wife had just told our son some stories about the post cards she’d get from me, many ending with, “The weather is here, wish you were beautiful”.

My son asked me, “So you insulted Mommy”?

I said, “No son, that phrase comes from a special place in my heart.  It may sound weird to say that to someone, but I only say it to people I care about”.

While it’s hard to know exactly who reads Mid Life Celebration, I do hope you readers know that this site is dependent on people who want to make a difference in this world.

On the journey to finish the last part of my  life, I want to make as big a difference as possible.  And, I’m looking for a few Baby Boomers and Gen-Xer’s to pitch in.

How could I not care about that?

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

PS.  I never liked Jimmy Buffett because my college buddies, who liked Buffett, were so fanatical about his music, I was put off by it.  Years later, as a bartender in Moscow, Idaho (home to University of Idaho), I fell in love with his music too.

Glories of Nature

“Let the glories of nature energize your body, heal your psyche, and uplift your spirit”. — unknown

Last evening, my family and I watched the sunset together.

A simple task, but one that can potentially require an enormous effort.

Why?

Because we get so stinking busy that even the simplest things can require Olympic-type efforts.

Not last night.

And I hope, not for the rest of the week either.

By the way, I watched the sun come up this morning.

Feels like, “I’m on a roll”.

Carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂

Rare & Special Mid-Life?

Rare & Special Mid-Life?

“It’s really rare and special that some one’s parents get to be a mascot at a child’s party”.

A parent, and friend, made this reply last Fall after they asked us what we did for Halloween.  Our son loves Calvin & Hobbs.  He dressed up like Calvin.  My wife and I dressed like Calvin’s parents.

My wife sews and is incredibly artistic.   Off the charts artistic.  Seriously.

I was going through some piles of paperwork at my home office and stumbled upon the post-it note.

You see, when we got home, I wrote a quick note about what our friend said, because it was said with such spontaneity and sincerity, that I felt maybe we had actually done something incredibly special without even knowing it.

I hope so.

Carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂