TheBanyanTree: Tuesday

[Sachet]

What a lovely outlook, Russ. You have such a beautiful spirit.

On 1/25/2011 5:53 PM, Russ Doden wrote:
> Today is Tuesday and that means it is the day of a local networking group I
> participate in called the Tulsa Think Tank.  It is a small group, but a
> diverse one.  The alarm went off this morning, but I was already awake.  Not
> awake in eager anticipation, just awake, thinking thoughts I share with
> myself and All That Is.  Getting ready was a mechanical ritual today,
> because I was lost in thought.  Not grim thoughts, but thoughts of
> gratitude, thoughts of wonder and amazement, and thoughts of why do people
> have so much hate and anger and fear in them when there is so much beauty,
> abundance and wonder all about them.  And so my morning continued.
> Mechanically going through the motions, but in my own world of thought.  I'm
> realizing today is "different", not different like every day is different
> from the one before, or the the one to follow, but . . . I'm different -
> again.  I sat in the Think Tank group, really looking at each person there.
> Most "should" have retired some time ago or "should" retire soon.  Instead,
> I see people alive and vibrant and active.  I don't agree with all of them
> by any means.  One is so conservative that he makes the Tea Party look
> liberal and I'm fiercely independent.  Our "token female" is well into her
> 70's but still works helping others as a Naturopath - and looking at her I
> see an "elf" or "fairy" - one of the fey, with sparkling eyes, insatiable
> curiosity and joy in living.  Another is full of practical wisdom, but
> doesn't want to be seen as such - because in his family, that is for the
> "old ones" and he is "only" 67.  And so around the table I went, looking,
> seeing, hearing, listening, "sensing".  I came home and the feelings of this
> continue to be with me.  My inner conversation continues.  Not a
> conversation of gloom and doom, but of wonder at all the potentialities that
> are there for us.  I also realized - due to the "topic" (if you could call
> that loose, wide ranging meeting today as having a topic) that nearly all my
> friends, and those I care about, are anywhere from a few years to well over
> 30 years (and in a few cases 40 years) younger than I, and very few are
> older.  This isn't a denial of my years or my mortality, but a realization
> that years are a number, just a number.  Many are very old before reaching
> 60 and others are still young well into their 80's and 90's.  I realized
> maybe I am becoming like my maternal grandfather.  I hope I am.  My most
> vivid memory of him was when I last visited with him many years ago.  When
> asked how he liked living in the care center where he was, his response was
> "It's not so bad, except there's nothing but a bunch of old people here."
> That's a paraphrase, but it is close to the wording.  The funny thing was,
> the next younger person there was 10 years his junior - and no one there was
> older.  His room was the nursing staff hang out, because "Charlie" was
> always full of fun, and the radio was always tuned to the local "rock"
> station instead of the "old folks" station most listened to.   So here I
> sit, wishing it was warmer out - wanting to go for a long walk at Oxley
> Nature Center, or just sit in a wooded area and listening to the plants,
> rocks and water speaking to me.  Spring will come soon though, and I'll have
> my time for walks then.
>
> Russ