Get to Know: Alzheimer's Associationby Melanie Lekocevic / March 25, 2022Related Posts
Body, Mind & Spirit Connections: In the blink of an eye…
By Pat Larsen
For Capital Region Independent Media
Life. Changes. No warning. No clues. One minute to the next and the shift comes swiftly.
Subtly, it happens. The wind whispers to the clouds, the clouds drift from near to far sharing the news and the day is then done. Yet, the world continues to turn.
LIFE… ends. LIFE… continues. LIFE… is never quite the same from second to second, but we act as if it never will change or we wring our hands and lose the moments of presence that are the gifts. Then they’re gone, too.
This is how impactful the passing of Bob Beyfuss was to me. I read his last published column recently, grasping for meaning, looking for the hopeful metaphor, hoping it was not what I knew it was… the end. I wanted to hit rewind, go back button, delete and rewrite, but alas I couldn’t escape this reality.
The story about his passing, as shared with me, spoke of the glory of his last moments. My gut reaction was, “Good for you, Bob!”
What I was meaning was something more like, if I could pick how to make my exit from this world, THAT would be pretty high on my list… at the top of the game.
I’ll let that part of the story be for now. His family deserves that bit of privacy. After all, I’m just a stranger to them. A fellow columnist to Bob.
We’d see each other at the local grocer’s. He, always that popular guy who was stopped in every aisle by someone.
People were drawn to him. His quiet demeanor and soft smile always found my eye as I passed by. Always a nod of acknowledgement to each other. A gift really, that he gave to everyone he crossed paths with.
An angel on earth, he was. To be a magician with the soil and the offerings from Mother Earth, he never failed to give his knowledge with such kindness and generosity.
Like most anything that is impactful, the news of his passing was introduced by his image on a social media post. Oh… “Hi Bob” was my acknowledgement as I scrolled aimlessly through Facebook a few days ago… but then I backed up and stared in disbelief as I saw the banner of the tragic news attached to his handsome image.
Nooooooo! Not Bob. But alas, it was his final story. My heart sank, my focus shifted, my thoughts became consumed with the realities of LIFE… the fragility, the message that haunts us all, but we forget to acknowledge.
I will miss you, Bob. I will miss your columns, seeing you around, knowing you through stories. But… I have to also THANK YOU, BOB, for the reminder that LIFE… changes, without warning, with no clues.
The wind will continue to speak of you and share with the clouds, who will then drift off to say someone important and who had a significant role in this time on earth has moved on but taught us many things.
TODAY is the gift…that’s why it’s called the PRESENT. Always remember that. BOB did and left us that reminder.
Pat Larsen lives in Greene County, teaches fitness programs and helps, she hopes, making some kind of impact to those who get stuck in their troubles. Please feel free to contact Pat at pelarsen5@aol.com.
Whittling Away: Another New Year is here
By Dick Brooks
For Capital Region Independent Media
Christmas barely disappeared over the horizon when along came another New Year steaming into the station.
I’ve just gotten used to writing 2021 on my checks and now I’ve got to switch to 2022. I have learned how to deal with this minor problem — I now go to my checkbook and write 2022 on the date line for half a dozen checks or so. This doesn’t mean I won’t make mistakes, but it helps.
I did recently date a check 1972 — I have no idea why I flashed back. Must have been a good year, I don’t remember.
I can usually deal with the date change. The thing that annoys me the most about this time of the year is the topic of resolutions for the coming year. You have to make them, it’s a law or something.
I do get smarter as I age though. I’ve kept last year’s list and since they hardly got used at all, I feel no guilt about reviving them for the upcoming season of good intentions. In fact, if memory serves me, I’ve used the same list for several years — or maybe that should be several decades. I’m sure a quick check will reveal that most of them still are pertinent.
Number one on the list now and forever shall be to lose some weight. That particular one seems to be the most overused and underkept resolution in the history of mankind.
On a good year I can stick faithfully to this resolution for about a week before my willpower is weakened by the discovery of a stray, stale Christmas cookie or two lurking behind one of the canisters on the counter. This usually puts the resolution back on the shelf for another year, carbohydrate addiction being what it is.
Saving money is the next on this rather rumpled, dusty list of mine. I was quite successful at this in the old year. I set aside a jar in which I deposited my pocket change whenever the weight on the coins stretched my suspenders to the danger point. I rolled up the contents of the jar and deposited the $28.73 in my savings account just last month. I’m pleased with the system and will continue with it.
The third item on the list was to do something about domestic violence and abuse. To this end, I’ve decided to make the terms, “Yes, Dear” and “Whatever you want, Dear” a permanent part of my vocabulary. They have worked well in the past and I see no reason for not expanding their usage in the coming year. They make The Queen smile and a happy Queen usually means peace in the kingdom.
The last item on my little list is to get more exercise. Since this usually involves getting sweaty and movements that no longer come naturally to my older physique, I listed it last.
I will admit that more exercise would be good for me, but it might not be an easy thing to accomplish. I have found that if I exercise for half an hour, the recovery period is usually about a week and a half until I can exercise for a half hour again.
Another thing to take into account is the fact that the neighbors are sometimes bothered by the noises involved with my exercise period. The cracking, squeaking joint noises and the involuntary grunts and groans carry farther than you’d think. I will work on this in the New Year while I’m doing research on a book I intend to write on recliner exercises.
All in all, I’m excited about the new year. Who knows what it’ll bring? I hope for only good things for all of us or at least the strength to deal with whatever bad things may show up.
Make a list of your resolutions and tuck it safely away. It’ll save you time making one next year and give you a chuckle when you dig it out next December.
Happy New Year!
Thought for the week — Those who live by the sword, get shot by those who don’t.
Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well.
To reach Dick Brooks, email Whittle12124@yahoo.com.
