COURAGE MONTH: DAY 21: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” — Muhammad Ali
Because he was one of the men whom I identified as courageous, because he stood up for something when it cost him everything, I respect and admire Muhammed Ali. He truly was “the greatest” in many ways. He used his fame to do some good.
I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday who reads these posts in an email format and we were talking about this (today) being my birthday. I had never said this before, but I told her that it is so interesting to grow older in today’s world. Our culture has become ever more focused on youth as we have developed the skills and technology to reach older and older ages in our world.
What makes it all the more interesting is the prevalence of youth-enhancing interventions that everyone seems to take advantage of. I am sure if I had the resources I might be more tempted to get injections and magic potions and surgical interventions, etc. But I am integral in that I have never had any of these done and have a great number of wrinkles and age-related situations going on with my body and face.
This is not popular. We tell others that they look “great for their age” as if this is a compliment. I am not so sure.
I am thrilled to be alive at this time in my life, because it is happier and more wonderful than ever! I use almost no cosmetics, do not color anything on my body, have a few extra pounds, lots of freckles and wrinkles, because my face loves to be in the sun and the wind; and I feel like a million bucks! I do not look “good for my age”, but I do look good at my age! I earned it all and I’m keeping it!
There is no desire on my part to look younger or different or to cover anything up. That is the mentality that kept me loaded for so long. I don’t need to be those kinds of insecure and feeling inadequate as I am. I don’t want to “enhance” or hide anything. This is an unusual stance in our broken, sad culture where insecurity and inadequacy are created by believing that only the outside matters. It breaks my heart to see what people do to themselves in the pursuit of “beauty”.
I have great respect for those who have lived authentic lives, real people, even those like Mr. Ali, who publicly lived with debilitating physical conditions and did not try to mask his condition or his pain. I love watching those men and women who do not allow themselves to buy into the mentality of plastic surgery and all the other crap in order to be something they don’t believe they already are or in order to hang onto something they used to have.
I am SO grateful for these moments of clarity, when I can see how we damage one another by saying things like: “wow! You don’t look that old” as if it were a compliment. I am proud of my age and my process of getting there! Perhaps being courageous is about being who and what we are, with authenticity and letting go of who we once were. I love having these insights…especially when I am a good candidate for dementia!
Dolphin Hug 