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Five daily blogs about life's 5 big choices on five interconnected sites.
Thanks for visiting. Midlife is a great time to reflect. September 2011 is an experiment (Zen) from jeff noel’s traditional blogging. Ultimately, the vision here is to challenge 3% of male Baby Boomers to Do Something Great! (Female Boomers are also welcome)
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This evening I got a good dose of food for thought along with my carry-out order of sushi.
I didn’t call ahead, so I had to spend a few minutes on a sofa by the front register. There was a little girl sitting at a table not too far from me. She was one of those adorable kids who you just want to run over and hug. A wild mass of blonde curls, wire rimmed glasses and a red tint to her nose that makes it seem she had spent this, one of the final days of summer, swimming in the afternoon sun. She seemed tired and restless. When her mother walked her back to the ladies room, she commented on the kimono that hung near the hallway as a decorative dividing curtain. Her mother told her that yes, it was pretty, but NOT to touch it. On the way back out she just couldn’t help herself, and as soon as her mother’s gaze drifted for a second, one of her little hands reached up and tugged at the sleeve. It immediately hit the floor. Her eyes got wide as her mother took her by the hand to the front of the restaurant to confess to the owner and offer an apology for what she had done. The owner, a Japanese lady who was probably near my own age, wasted no time in hunkering down to the little girls’ level and scooping her up in a warm hug. “I’m so sorry”, the lady offered. “No….. you don’t have to apologize to her. She grabbed it and it fell….” said the mother. “Oh, I understand. I saw the whole thing.” The owner now smiled to the little girl and went back to the register to answer the phone and take an order.
I watched this little girl, who was maybe all of 5 years old. She looked a bit confused, but she quietly went back to her seat, where she displayed her best manners for the remaining time I was there. She also kept glancing, and shyly smiling, at the lady who had shown her such mercy.
“Did you know I’m 100 now? I think since I made it this far I’m going to try for 105.”
My brother was sitting in his regular restaurant/bar last Friday night when he saw two familiar faces. Our dad’s aunt and cousin were getting up from their booth, having just finished their dinner. Dad’s aunt turned 100 years old in January. Although she never smoked and never drank that I know of, she also has some of the characteristics that we are being told do not lead to longevity. She is an “apple” shape, carrying most of her weight in her midsection. She never ran or swam or joined a gym. She eats pretty much whatever she wants, which is mostly Pennsylvania Dutch home cooking. Her mother died at a young age from cancer, and her sister-my grandmother- also died of cancer. Not fantastic genes on that. And yet…… here she is. Not only has she made it to the century point, but also she has a pretty darned good quality of life.
What I’ve always noticed about Aunt Ruth is that she seems to be sort of laid back. I’ve not spent a tremendous amount of time with her, but the times we have spent in one another’s company she always seemed to be calm. She hits me as someone who just takes life for what it is and kind of rolls with it. She enjoys things and doesn’t seem to dwell on the negative. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here. There is no question that there is pretty conclusive medical evidence as to the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet. Perhaps we need to add to that the benefits of stress reduction. And the optimism of a 100-year-old lady deciding there is no good reason she shouldn’t shoot for 105. I’m betting she reaches her goal.
If you love to cook, would it still give you pleasure if there was no one to eat the food you prepared? If you love to sing, would you still sing if no one ever listened? If you love to write, what if you were the only person who read your written word? Would an artist still paint even though his or her canvases could only hang in total darkness? What if there was a play that was performed every evening to a totally empty theater?
How much of what we love is done for the simple act of creating something, and how much of it is because we can share it with others? If we love doing something does it matter if anyone knows or cares or shares it with us? Or is the simple act enough for us to continue?
Mid Life Celebration’s jeff noel combines the two traits from yesterday’s post into one thought. Every morning, he predictably writes five short and pithy posts about Life’s 5 Big Choices, to help people think, smile and be grateful.
Breakthroughs are rare. Many try and fail. It’s part of the process and must be embraced. jeff noel embraces it. Readers can watch this blog like a reality show.
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