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In the cool of an almost spring morning, the sun promises another day the will help to melt the lingering and soiled piles of snow. The boy and girl cardinals that live across the street flit here and there, gathering bits and twigs. Occasionally they call out. Spring is en route, but the last snow storm of the season is probably waiting in the wings.
All this, though I've seen and heard it before, interests me. Its freshness never ceases, somehow. It is like some old friend or piece of music ... new at every turn, although anyone might hum along.
On a Buddhist bulletin board I read words like "enlightenment" and "compassion" and "rebirth" and "wisdom" and ... well, the litany goes on and on. All good encouragements, for sure. And yet my interest-animal lies curled at my feet like some snoozing cat. I don't really care ... I don't mind, but I don't care. If some breath-to-breath person were to exercise his or her tongue and spit out such words, I guess I would rouse myself a little ... if only to notice the pretty plumage and the advent of yet another spring.
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The other day I had lunch with a friend who just turned 70. We were former colleagues at work and we've had similar ideas with respect to something and much different ideas with respect to others. It was nice to catch up over some early bird specials.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that cauhgt my attention to the extent that I made a point of discussing it with him has been reflected here many times recently. While completely anecdotal and not in the least scientific it does have me wondering a bit. Do folks in their 70's undergo a kind of neo-adolescence? We think of different ages differently beginning with the "terrible twos" when children just love to say 'No!"
Adolescence is a time when children are becoming independent and often claim and act as though they do not to care about the opinion and values of their parents and other caregivers.
I am wondering now if there are actually themes associated with other later parts of the aging process. The 70's seem to be the "I don't really care" years. My friend states that he feels this attitude is actually counterproductive in some areas, but he really can't get much traction in being interested in anything that he feels he doesn't care about.
Yet those few 80 years olds who are fortunate enough to be relatively healthy and rather sharp mentally whom I have the privilege of knowing there may be yet another change, a change that makes them both founts of certain kinds of information and who haver regained their love of learning and, probably more importantly, caring about many things and people.
Hi Anonymous -- I certainly have to plead guilty to the focus of your remarks. I actually find them somewhat consoling ... ahhh, I have some company in this irritable, I-know-enough-don't-try-to-interest-me-in-more realm. Simultaneously, there is something that feels unnecessary about it all. For the moment, it may be inescapable and I am doomed to be two and mindlessly hollering "No!"
ReplyDeleteBut at least I find this topic interesting.
Thanks for the input. It is appreciated.