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On weekend mornings I find I have time - perhaps my readers do too - to listen to some music. I choose pieces I like that connect, in some way, to my mood. I hope you enjoy these: The Commitments Dark End Of The Street , Wilson Pickett Mustang Sally , BB King and friends Midnight Hour , Etta James Something’s Got A Hold On Me
Morning walk: 5C/41F, calm, lid of overcast (but not gloomy) covers all but the north and east of my sky; Gusta was short-changed and dissatisfied by my promise of a bigger longer walk later.
Look around. You might see people who cut loose, let loose when the retire, separate, empty-the-nest . . or do some other thing that represents game-changing moments for them. The cutting loose is destructive for many – but I think it represents a change-moment worth paying attention to.
I look back on my change-moments – have not always channeled my energy in directions that proved worthy or successful, as they appeared at that moment of decision, but I got through them all. Scarred and sometimes scared but never regretting.
Most important, I think, is the moment of discovery – more important than any letting-loose, or feeling footloose – to realize there is little standing in my way. Whatever is my way (or your way) are quite simply – just obstacles.
OK, getting over, around or through the obstacles may be difficult – but noticing them, knowing them, identifying and describing them, defining them . . . those are the important learning moments.
Discovery is important. We start out full of playfulness and joy. Misguided, but well intentioned, worlds of organized education, government, religion, sport and community/family suck that right out of us.
Or do they just suppress it? Suppressed, I think, rather than extinguished. Learning that our five-year old, who we stifled/packed away from view so long ago – had two qualities. One, playfulness. The other, creativity.
Too often, when five-year olds re-surface, playful parts gets all the gas (ie: sports cars, Harleys, wild behaviour) while creative part tends to sit idle or be overlooked. Sports cars can wait, and Harleys were never my thing.
My five-year old came alive a few years back, and it is now time for him to thrive. I’ve been too narrowly focused. I know that now.
Sure, I’ve probably missed a lot of fun.
But I’ve gained more value.
I’ve really lost it – on occasion, but not lately.
I’ve lost money but not my way.
I’ve lost love, and loves, but not loving.
But I’ve not lost hope.
I’ve lost battles and negotiations, lost opportunities and had misadventures.
But I’ve not lost my will.
I’ve lost it all, over and over.
And I’m still here.
No pressure. Not in a hurry. But I should be.
Time to get ready to launch new things, overdue things, incredibly interesting things. So much to do, so little time – not just today, but all month, for the rest of the year, for the rest of my life – so much to do, so little time . . .
Mark Kolke
309,140
Comments Received:
NO WEAK ENDING
Oops. I just did that too, but I hit send instead of delete. Uh-huh, MB, Guilford, CT
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