more tomorrows than yesterdays. for now.
this past week i had the chance to hang out with my family, we had a wonderful thanksgiving weekend and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time just reading and listening to the new album leaf record (a perfect compromise for parents opposed to anything to loud.) we went to an imax presentation of into the deep, a 45 minute documentary on creatures in the ocean, some that i had never seen or heard of before. it was beautifully filmed and danny elfman solidified himself as my favorite soundtrack writer.
afterwards we stumbled into a museum which turned out to be a children's museum, and after a couple of minutes the lot of us were completely jejune & done looking. on the second level hidden away was a doddering machine that had an anti smoking warning from a local police department.
as i sat down i realized that the machine projected what you were going to look like throughout the rest of your life, i was instantly intrigued. after i took the picture i waited the minute required in processing. then it appeared.
me at 82.
i sat still staring. staring myself years and years from now. i looked sad. my eyes were worn, my face sagged, the bags under my eyes were dark and my hair had turned grey. i can't tell you what happened but it clicked. i realized that we are all going to get old. we all know the fact, but we never have to stare the reality in the face. that was me and i was him.
what would he have wished i would do different now? why did he look so sad? what thoughts were going through his head?
who is his family? who did he choose as his wife? what were his regrets? if he could switch just one day with me what would he do, would he go and call all his family members and tell them how much he loved them? would he warn someone of danger or avoid a person all together?
i took a picture of myself with my camera and have to admit that i have stared at the picture for a couple days now, its rather inspiring or sobering in an odd sort of way. because i think to myself that i cannot waste time. i want to know that these hours of rest are spent wisely. that whatever i put my hands to i must do with all my heart.
we are all going to be there someday. we don't see it now, and for others we don't want to admit it. but were all going to be at a point where we have more yesterdays than tomorrows.
take today, and for the rest of the day pretend you are 82 and magically you have one more day in your body, in your mind.
what are you going to do with this gift of life in the spring of it? because when winter arrives, and it will, hopefully you have spent your days wisely and have very few regrets.
afterwards we stumbled into a museum which turned out to be a children's museum, and after a couple of minutes the lot of us were completely jejune & done looking. on the second level hidden away was a doddering machine that had an anti smoking warning from a local police department.
as i sat down i realized that the machine projected what you were going to look like throughout the rest of your life, i was instantly intrigued. after i took the picture i waited the minute required in processing. then it appeared.
me at 82.
i sat still staring. staring myself years and years from now. i looked sad. my eyes were worn, my face sagged, the bags under my eyes were dark and my hair had turned grey. i can't tell you what happened but it clicked. i realized that we are all going to get old. we all know the fact, but we never have to stare the reality in the face. that was me and i was him.
what would he have wished i would do different now? why did he look so sad? what thoughts were going through his head?
who is his family? who did he choose as his wife? what were his regrets? if he could switch just one day with me what would he do, would he go and call all his family members and tell them how much he loved them? would he warn someone of danger or avoid a person all together?
i took a picture of myself with my camera and have to admit that i have stared at the picture for a couple days now, its rather inspiring or sobering in an odd sort of way. because i think to myself that i cannot waste time. i want to know that these hours of rest are spent wisely. that whatever i put my hands to i must do with all my heart.
we are all going to be there someday. we don't see it now, and for others we don't want to admit it. but were all going to be at a point where we have more yesterdays than tomorrows.
take today, and for the rest of the day pretend you are 82 and magically you have one more day in your body, in your mind.
what are you going to do with this gift of life in the spring of it? because when winter arrives, and it will, hopefully you have spent your days wisely and have very few regrets.
Comments
I try to live my life with that knowledge so instead of wishing my life away, I treasure every moment of my youth. But thank you for bringing me to that realization again.
i try my hardest to live by the same words you have written. one thing is for certain, 82 may not come for some of us. she wasn't 82 (a little less than a decade shy)... but she did spend the remainder of her winter warm and with her family.
I have a couple of lines in my face: studying ones where my nose begins and smile ones. But I think of them as GOOD lines, a life well lived (so far) lines.
i don't regret much
one regret i have...emailing you
and in an hour i'll most likely regret saying so
I just found your blog today and have been reading though some of it, and I think it's really great...thought provokeing, real, down to earth....not some cheesey band promo site. very cool.
-Jane