Bees, Butterfies and Buffets

I learned about alliteration in sophomore English class when we studied Beowulf, and I was remind of that when I was thinking about a title for this post. But this post has nothing to do with Beowulf, although it was inspired by breakfast, bees, butterflies and buffets.

As we were enjoying our Sunday morning breakfast down on he patio this morning, there was a constant flurry of activity as the bees and butterflies hopped from flower to flower, sampling a taste of what each flower had to offer, then quickly moving on the another plant. It reminded me of going the "all-you-can-eat buffet" where you inevitably eat more than you should, or in most cases, need. I wondered, as I observed these insects up close, if they ever regretted going back for those extra helpings of zinnia, or bee balm, or cosmos. 

As the summer fades slowly towards autumn, their time is running short. The days are getting shorter and it won't be long before a frost warning is issued and their buffet will close for the winter. If I were one of them, I'd be going back to the buffet as often as I could and filling up my plate.

There is such beauty in the garden and in nature. Seasons come and go, each with a beginning and an end. We anticipate their arrival and mourn their ending. And like the buffet, when the season is in its fullest glory, we want all we can eat. And we never want it to end.

Beginnings and endings, with transitions in between. Such are the seasons of our lives.

A Slight Change in Focus

If you are a regular reader of my blog the past 12 months, you might notice that the title and web address of the blog has changed.

Why the change?

I began blogging back in 2007 at the suggestion of a colleague. I titled the blog "Funk, Flowers and Fun"- a weak attempt to use alliteration to create a theme. That initial attempt at blogging resulted in about 15 random posts written over the course of a year that no one read. And I mean that quite literally. Probably because I did nothing to market or promote the blog.

Then in January of 2013, I started over after deleting all of the unread material from 2007. A fresh start with a new focus and new material. 

I titled the blog, "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart" which I took from a book by that name, a collection of essays on how to live a good life written by a psychiatrist.  I suppose that makes me a plagiarist. In the initial post of the newly launched blog I mused about the blog's theme:

"Did I grow old too soon? Did I fail to learn along the way?  I don't think so. That's my 2013 answer. Easier to say at 60 than at 30, or 40, or even 50."

I even chose "oldguyramblings" as the URL for the blog. Seemed harmless enough.

And off I went. 8 posts written between January and April and this time I actually shared the blog-I posted it on my Facebook page and a few people started to read it. 

But then the blog went dormant again. Nothing written or posted between April and July.

What happened next was more than a stroke of good luck. In August of 2013, a writer, Jon Katz, whose blog "Bedlam Farm" I had been following for some time, came up with the idea to sponsor a Facebook Group for encouragement and creative expression-a place where people could post their good stuff like blogs, poems, picture, art works and other creative endeavors. I jumped right in and started posting my blog on the "Open Group for Bedlam Farm". And to date, I've posted over 60 blog entries, numerous photos and many, many comments of encouragement and feedback to the other members of the group.

I heard a wise man once say that "audiences create performances". Boy do they ever.

I'll admit to being more than slightly intimidated when I first began sharing my work there. After all, there is some serious writing talent out there, say nothing for the sponsor of the group, Jon Katz, who has published best-sellers and is widely read. I felt like I was back in 9th grade Advanced Placement English class with all the smart kids thinking "how did I get here?".

It has been a fun and rewarding year creating and supporting the efforts of a community of artists. Many have become on-line friends. My blog posts have been read nearly 10,000 times. And recently the group was re-named the "Creative Group at Bedlam Farm".

Which brings me back to the new title of my blog. 

While it is a goal of mine to not take myself too seriously, I got to think of about the stage of life I am entering and how growing older in our world is portrayed. 

It happened when I saw an advertisement for a product the other day that was marketed as "an anti-aging" product.  It got me to think-"Why are we against aging?" 

Again, not wanting to take my self too seriously, I'm not ready to launch an all out war on everything that leads us to the fountain of youth. What I can do is live my life well as I age gracefully.

Rather than focus on my limitations, I will focus on my strengths.

Rather than bemoan the ways of the young, I will embrace their energy and inventiveness.

Rather than push back against change in the world, I will find my place within the change.

Rather than aging awkwardly or feebly, I will age gracefully.

I am not anti-aging. I am for aging. Gracefully.

My blog is now titled "Aging Gracefully-Musings on a Life Well Lived".

And I am not a rambling old guy either. Thus, I changed the URL for the blog to saxman61.blogspot.com. 

Thanks for reading, now I need to take a nap.