This is a “joke’s on me” story. I love martial arts. I have practiced various martial arts over the years. These days, it’s taiji, sword, and staff. I recently took a video of myself practicing a sword form. In my head I looked like this:
When I watched the video, my first thought was “Who’s that old lady with the big butt flapping that sword around?”
Ah, reality. I had a good laugh at myself. What a great opportunity to truly see and embrace things as they really are. And still love life.
On the other hand, there is no harm in enjoying our fantasies. When my daughter was young, she liked to wear a pink T shirt on her head and pretend she had long hair. She wanted to wear it to go shopping one day, and asked me if people would think she had long hair. No, I said with a smile. They will think you have a pink T shirt on your head.
She paused for a moment, then flipped her pink “hair” around her shoulders and said confidently, No they won’t. And off she skipped.
Note to self – no more videos!
Oh Galen, we just have to laugh at ourselves. A few days ago, I was leaning over my glass-top bathroom vanity and saw a reflection of my face as I looked downward. Gosh, we all know what gravity does--and where in the heck did my collagen go??? Scary at first, but then I thought how this aging body has continued to serve me well over the years and I made peace with that old wrinkly woman.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Pam. No videos and no looking down into the mirror -- ha! Yes, we love these old bodies that carry us all through this lifetime. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteGalen, I just recently visited at Mom's house with my Massachusetts cousins, and I was struck by something that was said by Kay: We always thought of those who were older as being just that, and now we are them. Wake up call! We don't need videos to tell us where we are, we simply need God to give us that reality.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I know. It's funny because I don't mind being old at all. I embrace it. But apparently when I have a sword in my hand, I think I'm an Amazon warrior -- ha!
DeleteI too am trying to reconcile the person in the mirror with the one who lives inside my head. But then I realize that by the time one is almost eighty, it's okay to look old!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. See my response to Martha above. I really am happy with my age and my gray hair and all. But I do have a warrior spirit inside that I enjoy when I'm practicing. I just have to realize I don't "look the part." Thanks DJan for your comment.
DeleteI had to smile on this one. What a great story and I enjoyed it all.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to think of how you would like things to be and then things as they really are. As I count my wrinkles, I enjoy thinking about the fact they were earned. In reality, I'm just getting very old.
Sending loving thoughts and hugs!
Thanks LeAnn! We're all like fine wine -- better with age -- right?
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