So many influences move us forth in our world. Work family play. The past, the present the future. As time moves on, we see people we know who pass on. We are in the age of our life where we have lost or are losing parents. Joy of seeing kids and grand kids grow. Then we ask, what have I done? what influence can I make?
I am a firm believer that we have a calling. A calling to bring life forward for others. To ensure that our job every day is to provide both joy and support to people. It is probably the teacher in me. Or the waitress in me. Nothing better than a meal well served. Or a lesson well taught. Or a school year well finished. It is the responsibility we have toward and for others. And the system. We look for the silver lining when we live it every day. God does orchestrate. So my fellow mid fifty friends and colleagues: Let's reflect:
1. How did we fair so well after we visited Stairway to Heaven at our senior prom? What types of heaven on earth have we created for others? How have we given back?
2. Aerosmith taught us to Walk this Way. What way have you walked? Have you managed to balance the needs of self and life and family and friends? Do you still strut your stuff? Cause you should. We are those children of the 70's and our opportunities are endless. Time to dust off. Get out there and make some new memories.
3. Gloria Gaynor gave us optimal strength and foundation in I Will Survive. By now most of us have hit some road blocks: death of loved ones, job failures, problems with kids or finances, or spiritual scarcity. Yet nevertheless, we learn by this point to roll with things. Nothing is less sacred because we can take it in stride. Those things we fear become less fearful when we experience them and manage to make it through. Never unscathed, but a part of our selves. We blend it into our current reality and we learn to appreciate a little bit more.
4. Bachman Turner Overdrive or as we love to call it (BTO) gave us a chance to "Get up every morning to the alarm clock warning and take the 8:15 into the city", cause we are Taking Care of Business. We are at the times of our lives. We have our careers intact (well kind of cause if you are like me, I am always looking around the corner for a new experience), families are raised, we are helping our parents, appreciating our siblings, and can finally take the time to travel, read, and binge watch all of the shows we missed. We are taking care of business. Health, exercise, goal setting, and reaching out to others, and maintaining connections keep us focused. We have Facebook to close the loops from the past and to connect our futures, Twitter to express our political viewpoints, and Linked In to keep a connection to the world of growth and self motivation.
5. Mick and Keith taught us, You Can't Always Get What You Want but we know that what we want is only at our fingertips. It is to have a purpose, to love hard and fast and strong, to make a difference for someone else, and to have a sense of peace. It means having fun, maintaining a sense of self discipline, and for me, trusting God. Not resting on our laurels or past accomplishments and looking for a chance every day to learn something new, make life better for someone else, or just to maintain.
6. Best Yet. The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix gave us the knowledge that we will always be secure cause we can Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends. Yep. For Pat, and Amy, Shayla, Becky, Debbie, Susan, and you all know who you are: Bink, Bryan, Findlander, the list goes on: Marie, YMCA Aerobic friends, FMS friends, VMS friends, VHS Friends, CA Friends, Old friends are the gold friends and new friends keep life moving. Friends are the family we pick and where we can pick up. Years may go by yet when we pick up, it is like we never left off. The roots run deep.
7. And so the list goes on: Aretha taught us RESPECT and Sheryl Crow taught us that All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun; Robert Palmer summed up the middle aged tendency to forget, "the lights are on, but you're not home" in Addicted to Love; and Pink Floyd gave us both Time and Money.
8. Journey taught us Don't Stop Believing and Micheal Jackson challenged us to look inside at The Man In the Mirror. I always hesitate to write reflections like this as it tends to make us sound old but by now we have learned that age is only a number and that Only the Good Die Young (thanks Billy Joel) And I say that with hesitation because as we reach this point in life, we are seeing death and our own mortality hit closer to our lives. Yet we also see the power of youth in our kids and grand kids. It makes it all more real and makes us appreciate life more everyday. Education is our greatest tool.
9. We may now feel for three days the effects of one night of " I Want to Rock and Roll All Night and Party Everyday" but that dancing spirit keeps us going in yoga class and running marathons.
10. So throw on some good old classic rock, pull out that favorite t-shirt, binge watch some TV or catch a good movie, and curl up with the ones you love. Have some Boone's Farm while you are at it. Well maybe. Set some new goals, define your purpose, whether you are a Fool for the City (Foghat) , or a Sharp Dressed Man (ZZTop) and know that this is the best times of our lives and Girls Just Want to Have Fun. (Cyndi Lauper) Love hard. Write the bucket list. Fulfill the bucket list, and savor the moments.
Add some soul with Barry White or Pavlov's Dog and most importantly use the gifts God has given you.
Most Importantly:
Be the change you wish to see happen.... Ghandi.
And when the chips are down,,, watch Mad Men. The Rohlfing siblings have declared it, best series ever!
