You know you are getting old when you do more reminiscing when you should be paying attention to the present time. Yes,everyone wants to relive a very special time in their life that stirs warm memories of years gone by. It's hard to forget the past because of it's significance in our lives. Of course we can do away with the unpleasentries and focus on life changing events which we fondly remember. If I were to ask any of you what your best years in life were your most likely answer is either during the time you met your first love or the independence brought about by your first car. If you really sit down and think about it these two epic moments in our lives signify all that is beautiful in youth. They represent our thirst for freedom and our quest for true love. And if you were to REALLY think about it, nothing epic has happened to you lately if you are approaching your middle years. Nothing grand can be said about work or mortgage and bills and even the kids' college tuition. Then you come to the sad realization that you need to recapture some of that magic or vitality back in order to try to make sense of getting old. Sounds familiar? Of course it does. Take a seat and join the club.
How much possibility laid before you then and although you may not realize it, the same chances present themselves to you now. You do not have to be bound by circumstance or obligation to the point of helplessness. You have a choice to CHANGE all that is around you and recapture or relive all of your memories of what used to be good. It all depends on what you are willing to accept and change, and eventually give up. What I am trying to say is life doesn't have to begin at 40, or 18, or 21 or even 50. It begins NOW, this MOMENT. It's what you choose it to be. I don't understand why people continually live with their burdens and, in the process, make anxiety and stressful living a daily routine in their lives. You have to ask yourself if it is really worth it. More importantly, to whom does this suffering afford the greatest benefit to? Let me tell you a story about two little boys and before I get into what this particular story entails, let me give it to you plain and simple- the lesson of this story is about Possibility. It's about Opportunity. It's about taking chances and living by the "choices" we make. Note that we can easily interchange "choices" with "mistakes" in the previous statement.
So, here goes...
Once there lived two little boys on a seaside town in some unnamed country during an unnamed time. Of what year this event transpired is really of no importance, just that these two boys were dearest of friends. They shared many interests, these most unlikely of friends, and consequently, as boys often do, they have spent many a summer day just laying around a lone tree in a field overlooking the vast ocean just over the horizon. Let's call one of the boys Charles, and the other Richard. Charles came from a well to do family
coming from a lineage of educated merchants and business professionals. Just like his father and kin before him, Charles has honed an eye towards skepticism, economy, opulence, and security. In other words, he is a realist in the very sense of the word. Richard, on the other hand, comes from a family of farmers. His fathers knurled hands is testament to the hardships they must continually face in order to survive. To Richard, halls of splendor or even dining on a long table lined with fine linens and silverware is a thing of the books, a world away. Richard would spend most of his days daydreaming about a better life. To him, any life must be better than the present one. It was because of this polarizing difference that made the two boys the best of friends. Richard would listen with eager ears and fervent eyes as Charles would narrate a recount of the dinners and parties held often at his family's manor, as if he was simply blurting out details of a stone he found, unfeeling and simply disinterested. This "good life" added more fuel to the poor boys daydreaming and wishing until he often found himself staring into empty space, imagining, and wondering, and hoping.
One fateful day they encountered an old graying man sitting under their meeting tree, fanning himself, desperately trying to ward off the miserable summer heat. Cautiously, they took their place in their favorite "spot" and Charles, being the bold one, asked this seemingly hermit-looking figure of a man, what he was doing sitting under their tree.
"Why, I am simply resting these old bones, my lad. It seems being old does has its setbacks after all.", the old man answered coyly.
After several minutes of hasty introductions and some background inquisition on both ends, they settled into a leisurely pace of telling stories amidst a number of fancier tales. It was after an hour or so when Henry, the name the old man gave to be his, asked Richard why he isn't sharing much and was simply contented being an avid listener.
" What's to tell about a poor boys life?" blurted Richard.
"There isn't much to eat at our house. On some days we have to make do with reheated broth and molded bread.", he added further.
"Well, I am terribly sorry to hear that my boy." replied the graying Henry, with saddened eyes.
After a long silence Henry broke the veil with a question.
" Let's suppose for a minute that we forget about your way of living, the both of you. Let us start anew, a clean plate, if you will. Let me pose a question to the both of you and I want you to be honest with your answer. I want you to speak of what your heart tells you. Now, suppose I were to ask you that if you had a choice to start a new life what sort of life would you like to have and why?"
Another long silence, longer perhaps than the one it replaced.
" If I were to have a new life I want to have one like Charles. I don't ever want to sleep with a rumbling tummy ever again and I want to wear better clothes, not these worn rags tethered together by more rags. I want to be able to afford the things I only dreamed off and not just see them in pictures.", Richard said with much gusto.
"I want a life like Richard.", exclaimed Charles, much to his friends surprise. "I am tired of this life where everybody isn't real. They only want me to be their friend because of my family's wealth and they don't even appreciate the things I truly want. I want a simple life. I want a life where I can still taste the salt from the sweat falling from my brow after a hard days work."
"Well,well,and well. It seems the both of you don't talk much about this after all, judging from the way the both of you exude surprise. It seems you both want a better life than the one you lead but don't know HOW or WHERE to begin. Am I correct for assuming so?", Henry posed. "The answer to your problems is rather very simple, my lads. You have the power to harness the possibility in front of you and explore where your humility may take you. Charles, all you need is to share to the less fortunate, be the answer to their needs. Richard, all you need to do is strive to work for your dream. Make it a reality and not just a dream. Work hard, develop good work ethics, educate yourself, and make your fortune with your bare hands."
And yet another long silence broken by Henry's abrupt preparation to bid these two boys farewell. After disappearing into the distance, he left two boys behind wondering if what just transpired in indeed real.
Under the setting sun, the two boys walked alongside each other deep in their own thoughts and lighter hearts. Tomorrow is indeed a chance to begin. A new life awaits.
When I first heard of this story it didn't hit me as rather life-changing. I thought it was bland and didn't quite get the picture in it's entirety. When viewed from a different angle, that of from an outsider's point of view, I began to understand it's depth. The power is indeed in the choices we make. We can choose to remain in this way of living, or we can choose to rise above our struggles or conditions and strive for something better. Until our next post, you guys take care. JowelMD signing off, but not signing out.
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