Tinkering

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unkown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

Thich Nhat Hanh
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Hello Jon
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I don't like the phrase "It's not too late," as in, It's not to late to learn a new skill or a foreign language, because the phrase implies that one day it will be too late. I can't think of anything more suffocating than a bunch of folks sitting around talking about "the good old days" or "when they were kids" or what "used to be." I've done that myself and I'm trying to break myself of the inclination I don't want to be identified by what I did or didn't do. What an ash can idea !

In my profile it says I'm a retired actor. I should amend that somehow to state that I'm an actor who in his retirement hasn't done much work lately.

Another phrase I don't like is "Time is running out." We all live, laugh, cry, play, sing, dance, cook, eat, sleep, dream, plan, hope and do things on the edge of time. Time is a constant. It isn't running out.

I knew an actor who in his 70's learned tap dancing and became a cabaret performer, a song and dance man, with a straw hat, a cane and a piano player to accompany him. He just wasn't buying the theory that time was running out on him. On the other hand I knew a young actress who proudly claimed that she knew what her limitations were. To think you have limitations at any age is profoundly anti human, but to think so when you're young is double barreled disaster.

Fear is man's worst enemy, I think. Why do we sit in a cocoon and feel sorry for ourselves because we are afraid of what might happen if we step outside. It may be boring in here and maybe there is adventure out there but in here there is safety and out there are dangers. So let's stay inside with the door locked because that's what we always do, that's the way we always think, it's consistent, it's predictable, it's regular. Uta Hagen, a great actor, wrote "We must overcome the notion that we must be regular - it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre."

We are human beings, we have rights. We are entitled to solve problems, get out of troubles, make things work, make things better, to learn, to understand, to share, to enjoy, to fulfill, to be extraordinary.

There are too many creatures, human and otherwise, that are stuck in locked dungeons of poverty, illness, addiction, cruelty and neglect. What can one do about it? One can do what one can do. If everyone did what that one can do how much better the world would be. But it means stepping outside of the door into the dangers and excitements of real life.

I look forward at life. The older I get the more I look forward and the less I look back. Fear is a paper dragon that is consumed by the fires of reason and enthusiasm. Fear and uncertainty about the unknown is a room with all the doors and windows closed. You may think the doors are locked, but they aren't. Open the window and let in some fresh air. Open the door and step outside. Open your mind and let the ordinary, the regular, the predictable, the safety bugs fly away. Go for a walk in the wilderness. You'll find me there, tinkering with life, trying to make it better. for myself, for you and for anyone else who comes along. Join me.

DB - The Vagabond
Never Give Up
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