(Thank you David from Authorblog, for recognizing this post as Post of the Day.)
These are moments we have, when dreams can still be there,hidden behind brambles and dead branches. If we cleared things out with a pruning tool and looked clearly across the pond-the murky waters and the fog, the structure that is our life will shine through.
Getting old is one thing; it denotes movement, change. We still feel the power to take action.
Being old is an entire different thing; it is a state of decay; leaks and dampness and sheer neglect have thrived in dark corners; doubt and self-loathing have spread like water marks: their significance worse than their appearance.
We may not want to clear the brambles and the dead branches.
34 comments:
Dear Lake viewer, I have come to you via Natalie's page. I wanted to say that I think your comment to her is very appropriate and born out of wisdom- It resonates with me.
I found your 'Elusive dreams' post rather interesting. Are you wanting to clear away the brambles and reveal the depths , the hidden corners or would you rather some things stay quietly hidden?
Delwyn,
thanks for stopping by. What do I want to happen when I clear the brambles? Great question.
Great metaphor. But I think you have already cleared the brambles away ;-)
Hi, I chanced to stop by your blog while searching for some poems and writings to read.
I enjoyed reading some of your posts, and I've learned some things too. You really have a way with words, and I hope to read more.
Hi, Rosaria, I really liked your comment to me too. Thank you.
I guess old age is a bit like stocktaking. What will you do with your stock? What will you put in the window display?
I find just being in the presence of older people very inspiring. There is something that gets communicated subconciously, I think.xx
Gosh.
Do we grow older, or do we just grow wiser?
I honestly don;t know the answer!
Ever since reading the Julian Barnes book on death I have thought more and more about the aging process. It is so very hard to really know how one comes across and I hope I don't end up like a boring old lady droning on about my youth. That's the thing about getting old, it's all in the past and not the future.
I love a good post that makes me think. This is one of them.
Rosaria, you write so beautifully! I really liked David's comment also.
So well put. I can relate to this perfectly. A wonderful analogy!
You are a wonder.
I can never see you being old, only getting old.
Your personality shines through everything. I see it.
How are you feeling?
Love Renee
Delwin-Thanks for visiting. Some things ought to remain hidden; but we like to root things out, don't we?
English Sheperd- I don't know about already having done something; I'm on meds these days, remember?
Annie-I'm glad you stopped by and learned something. It's easy to teach; tough to learn, even tougher to admit learning.
Natalie-I'm glad you appreciated my comments. That's all we want at this age of mine; we want to feel appreciated especially for the advice we hand out so liberally. If only our children read these advice columns!
Marc-Gosh, back at you. It's hard to keep up with your locators these days. It's good to know you're writing your life away.
David-I'm honored by your visit. With hundreds of people following your blog, you're still the gentleman caller, you...Glad to make your further acquaintance, Sir.
F.F.- "I hope I don't end up..." That's what we all said. You know why that happens? I tell you: nobody gives a damn about us until we buy then dinner, or contribute to their portfolio. So, either save a lot of money for that time of life; or develop new skills to expose. Because, my dear, you will not be pretty, or clever, or attractive. Those days are gone, and nobody wants to hear about them.
Janis-I appreciate your visit. I disagree with David. We are not getting wiser; we are exposing more of our brain because it is easier to maintain its fitness than other parts of the body. Frankly, a vain, beautifully maintained empty shell was never my goal.
Absolute V- You snuck in as I was responding to the others. Glad to see you. One day, we ought to talk about our writing outside of blogging.
Renee- I ought to ask you how you are doing, with your on-going battle. My MRI and physical therapy are on schedule, and the Meds are splendid every few hours. Last night, I slept through an entire night. I now love everything any one says to me; my critical filter is way down, buried actually. And my poor husband who is taking care of my every whim, he's sweeter and kinder than I ever thought he could be. Now I now why people become hooked on drugs.
I always tell my kids, "Getting old... beats the alternative."
From that little ditty about Jack and Diane that you just shared with me, I can see you being hooked on your wonderful man.
Aren't sweet and kind people the best kind of people.
He sounds like a dream, just like you.
xoxo
Dear Readers, especially you who return after you first visit, thank you, thank you. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and generous spirit that goes into responding. Responding is hard to do.
-Kim, good point made
Renee- we ought to have a party at this point, serve some rich food that can be eaten without wine or other alcohol. Bummer, I do miss those little glasses of Pinot with my pasta dishes. I ought to declare that food is now being prepared after instructional break-troughs. Not quite as good as I would prepare, but it beats anything we could get in this village.
I believe congratulations are in order. Ta Da! Congrats for a wonderful post.xx
Hello,lakeviewer. Our resident woner man David from authorblog guided me here from his Post of the Day spot, so congratulations for that.
I battle all the time time not 'be old'. Have just come from my dentist who has made it his crusade to keep me from the dreaded denture. Another hour in his chair and he has made a bridge that defies gravity, spanning further than he thought possible, yesterday I dyed my eyebrows, gained a degree at 70 and draw the line only at Rap Music. Sixtyfive? You are a babe in arms. I shall be back.
Thank you for sharing these wise words with us! I want to believe that dreams and hope can and need to be kept alive. Here's one of my favorite Emily Dickinson poems for you - just substitute "Dreams" for "Hope":
Hope
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Congratulations on winning David's Authorblog "Post of the Day" award! :-)
May as well grow old gracefully, rather than becoming bitter and twisted raging against it, and getting old anyway! Dreams are always there for inspiration.
Our bodies age and our outlook on life matures but we don't have to act old. To me being old means losing the ability to relate to other people of all ages on the same level as them (generation gap). If you can stay openminded and appreciate the conversation of a child, a teenager, a middle aged person or an older person and relate to them on their level with interest. If you are still interested in life then you are not old. To me getting old is retreating from life and the living.
You paint a beautiful word picture! Much to think about here! I am thankful for the brambles and thorns as well as the intended growth! They present their own kind of beauty as so wonderfully captured in your photo! Congratulations on POTD! It is well deserved!!!
What a wonderful viewpoint towards life! Great post and congrats on the POTD award!
Came over from Authorblog. Congrats on post of the day. It is wonderful.
thought provoking, indeed! Well done for post of the day!
I'm thinking we really don't want to clear away those brambles because we may not like what we see, but the sooner we get to it, the sooner we can make the changes that may need to be made. Wow - that's a long sentence!
- here via David's blog.
Hauntingly thought-provoking. I hope I get old one day.
CJ xx
- over from authorblog.
Congratulations for making it to POTD. Your post is full of wisdom, and your writing touches deep cords. 'Elusive dreams' seems like it was written in a moment of pure despair, and uncertainty. I would like to tell you that with life's great experiences and all the wisdom it brings along, it should be cherished. It is a treasure that the younger generation can benefit greatly from. The process of ageing is inevitable. It should be lived with grace and smiles. If only we could find a means to make them realise how much we do for them in our journey to reach where we are. If only they understand that like us they will also acquire age and wisdom. But right now if only they could find in their hearts to understand that we would bloom by a small gesture of care and love. Is it asking too much?
I loved your other posts too.
your writing is a thing of beauty.
Many congratulations on POTD. Your post is beautifully written and thought provoking, particularly for those just coming out of middle age and beyond. We all think these thoughts, but not quite so eloquently as you portray.
Loved the way you wrote this. I read it three times to make sure I did not miss a bit!
Dear visitors
I'm overwhelmed by all this traffic. Welcome. I will be stopping by and visiting your blogs in the next few days, drop a perspective card on your table as I peruse the rooms and the furniture, and the visuals in your lives. I will try to return and get to know you.
We might show up at the same open houses now and then, recognize each other, share a coke, an espresso, a pizza slice.
We are all pilgrims in each other's houses, looking to name wisdom.
We are learning each other's language beats, admiring the vocabulary that places and dates us.
We are closing the circle of our ancestors, out of Africa, across the Arabian Peninsula, through the Indian Ocean to Australia and across the China Seas, over the Siberian steppes, into Scandinavia and Europe, through the channels to the Islands of Northern Europe, through the glacial passes into Alaska and down to the Americas.
We are Marco Polos. Peace will follow our steps.
Good Morning:
I think that your last comment should be made into a post so that everyone can see it when they come on over to visit you.
It is beautiful.
Okay, now cut and paste it and make it a new post, pretty please.
xoxox
I just found your blog and find it very inspirational and thought provoking. I'll definitely be back! Best wishes, Angela
Okay, here comes the pretty face.
Highlight what you wrote, click on it and it should stay highlighted then go to the top of the left hand screen and click on edit, it will say copy, click on that.
Now bring it to your new blog post and go back up to edit and click on paste and it should be there.
xoxoxo
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