This is something our michelle once wrote. Her writing always struck a chord deep within me ... which is why I've saved many of her posts (something I've not done with any other blogger).
Vibrant me (posted on Monday, October 25, 2004)
Vibrant: (as defined by dictionary.com) "Pulsing or throbbing with energy or activity"
When was the last time I described myself as vibrant? Full of life and feeling and energy and the need to perform? And that's another problem I have with life. As I grow older- life looses color. What started off as a multi-hued United Colors of Benetton T-shirt quickly becomes that faded black ragged cotton T-shirt that I don't want to wear anymore. Why does that happen? How does that happen? And why do I let that happen?
How do I maintain that child-like sense of wonderment at every new twist and turn in the road? How do I appreciate the joy of living? The joy of life and the desire to take the best out of every moment and savor it? Does anyone? Apart from a five year old who jumps out of bed at a new day, does anyone else really live life in vibrant color?
From the seven year old who has homework woes to the fifteen year old who has acne woes to the young adult who has new car/new home woes to the thirty year old who has settlement woes to the fifty year old who has backache woes to the seventy year old who has coffin choosing woes. Where is the joy?
I don't know.
I miss it, it fills a huge void in my life. Life has no color- it stands bleak and dry like an arid drought.
***
The joy of living. Ultimately that's what it's all about, isn't it? The difference between the things that make you happy and the things that bring you joy is that the latter cannot be bought with money. Joy is what you see on the faces of street-children thrashing about in the rain-water ... something you'll never see on the faces of rich kids in swimming pools at 5-Star hotels.
I guess the mistake many of us make is we spend our whole lives in the pursuit of things that will make us happy, when in fact all we need is a little joy.
Peace, love, and all the things money can't buy.
Vibrant me (posted on Monday, October 25, 2004)
Vibrant: (as defined by dictionary.com) "Pulsing or throbbing with energy or activity"
When was the last time I described myself as vibrant? Full of life and feeling and energy and the need to perform? And that's another problem I have with life. As I grow older- life looses color. What started off as a multi-hued United Colors of Benetton T-shirt quickly becomes that faded black ragged cotton T-shirt that I don't want to wear anymore. Why does that happen? How does that happen? And why do I let that happen?
How do I maintain that child-like sense of wonderment at every new twist and turn in the road? How do I appreciate the joy of living? The joy of life and the desire to take the best out of every moment and savor it? Does anyone? Apart from a five year old who jumps out of bed at a new day, does anyone else really live life in vibrant color?
From the seven year old who has homework woes to the fifteen year old who has acne woes to the young adult who has new car/new home woes to the thirty year old who has settlement woes to the fifty year old who has backache woes to the seventy year old who has coffin choosing woes. Where is the joy?
I don't know.
I miss it, it fills a huge void in my life. Life has no color- it stands bleak and dry like an arid drought.
***
The joy of living. Ultimately that's what it's all about, isn't it? The difference between the things that make you happy and the things that bring you joy is that the latter cannot be bought with money. Joy is what you see on the faces of street-children thrashing about in the rain-water ... something you'll never see on the faces of rich kids in swimming pools at 5-Star hotels.
I guess the mistake many of us make is we spend our whole lives in the pursuit of things that will make us happy, when in fact all we need is a little joy.
Peace, love, and all the things money can't buy.
17 comments:
Good to know there is someone out there who believes money can't buy everything
lovely.
Now don't go and delete this post SwB :)
hey SwB.. reminded me of something i liked a lot when i was in school. i liked the naughtiness of the " pleasure that abided for a moment" part with my convent-school overactive imagination.
http://www.literaturepage.com/read/wilde-essays-lectures-121.html
more nicely formatted version is available at
http://www.oscarwildecollection.com/
Read this on a coffee-cup:
"With childhood comes a brief grace period of ignorant bliss - when you're not aware of the pain around you. That is the most special, truly unique time. It is the core of adult lament." -- Barry Privett (Lead Singer of Carbon Leaf).
I guess thats why the joy kids feel is that much more genuine.
miss her..that bum!
miss her too. loved the post swb.
U have so nailed it on the right spot...so true and yet so complicated! I could actually count the moments that i ever felt this feeling...joy needs to be a part of my life and i need to have countless moments of this bliss...
Actually - she sounds a lot like you.
Beautiful writing there budd! And very true too...
Thankfully Im not dead! (aimed at you blues, alpha and prero!!)
That post from me sounds so morbid and one-dimensional. Surely we've oved past!
Reading your thoughts, I concur. I am at the best stage of my life right now!!
lovely... i'm feeling bad i missed michele's blog
mich, oh, you aren't? Give me back all the prayers I rendered for your soul to rest in peace.
SWB: All material things are a means to an end! And that end is happiness, love and joy:-)
great post of Michele , but though we always think the poor kids are much happier than rich kids I think the reality is far from truth -being poor is not as romantic as we make it to be...
Goddam!! I hated that michelle kid cuz she always outsmarted me and kept disagreeing n all. Captive Sprit? My ass!! lol!! Yea miss ya michelle.
That was an awesome post by Michelle and you, lots of food for thought.
I guess we chase that 'large' joy so much the small ones are just trodden over, and only but the intelligent will see.
You ended by saying peace,love and all the things money cant buy.
I look around and see that most of us know it. And assidiously ignore it. Till, of course, it is too late.
Good blog. Intelligently sensitive. Without being maudlin.
tc,
N
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