I have a musician friend who has been away from the music scene for several months - his life has been complicated and highly stressed and he felt the need to take a break. His comeback begins tonight, an acoustic performance at a well known downtown bar. I'm not only glad to have him back, I'm glad to see that he's back stronger and restored in mind and emotions. I suspect that his music will reflect his feelings and the conflicts he's faced these past months.
Life comes at us fast and demands we keep up. Easy enough at twenty, thirty, even forty - but being on the downside of fifty, I'm discovering that I don't want to run in place just so I don't lose any ground. I look at the things I haven't accomplished ( an astonishingly long list! ) and realize that somewhere my priorities shifted. I'm not rich, thin or famous. I haven't been published. I haven't found someone to grow old with or keep me in the manner to which I'm accustomed. I haven't learned to tap dance, ride a horse, play tennis, or ice skate. I've never quite gotten the hang of mathematics or counting back change or driving a standard shift. I can't make adequate small talk or quit smoking or swim. I haven't learned a foreign language or how to appreciate opera or fine wine.
I don't have a Neiman Marcus card, I've never invented anything or been a heroine and will never cultivate a taste for snails, truffles, or caviar. And to my surprise, none of these non-accomplishments matter all that much. When push comes to shove, I'm content. Life still comes at me fast but I set my own pace. There's way less traffic in the slow lane.
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