Actually, by the time my life is complete, I hope to have Nine Lives, then some. But maybe it will be Nine Lives, take away some. Who knows? But I will probably have right around Nine Lives. These are Lives that are, in my mind and in my heart, divided into parts. These parts may be divided by milestones: starting school, graduating school, jobs, boyfriends, moving, marriage, kids, etc., Or parts that may be divided by intellectual and emotion growth...much more difficult to define. And some parts that the transition is made through the convergence of both.
To this date, I count 6 Lives. I am beginning the 7th.
Last week I met up with LaRs, a dear friend of mine. We met for a workout and, following, a sit down for lunch. It was nice to have company for the workout. It was nicer to have company for the lunch. I can do this...I'm in my 7th Life.
Whenever we get together for a workout, our workout includes catching up on family; catching up on friends; catching up on gossip. Actually, not too much gossip...we're not very good at it. We know nothing. Nevertheless, the focus for this workout is definitely an exercise of the mouth. And not without being surrounded by plenty of furrowed brows.
We speak of family.
We Elliptical!
We talk about B and his college life in the Frozen Tundra and EM and his college life in the Very-Warm-Not-The-(818)(310)(213)(805) Southern California.
We Elliptical!
Husbands good? Working hard? Date nights?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
We Elliptical!
We catch up on work. Her turn first.
We Elliptical!
My turn now. I catch up on work.
We lift! We switch.
We lift! We switch.
We lift! We switch.
We gossip!
As soon as we break a sweat...Time for Lunch!
It's a beautiful day. Meet at Vivian's...Garden-side.
While the workout is about catching up, the lunch is commonly for checking in, meaning decompressing, heart-to-hearting and, gratefully, philosophizing.
The subject of family pictures comes up. This is our launch into philosophizing through burgers and salads, diet cokes and ice teas.
Pictures. Family pictures. Baby pictures. School pictures. Wedding pictures. Vacation pictures. All of which we both admit to ignoring all the many boxes and drawers of them, let alone not organizing, not filing or not "scrap booking" any of them.
What can we do?
Suggestion 1: A picture night....with wine! unrealistic.
Suggestion 2: A picture night...without wine! unrealistic.
Suggestion 3: A picture weekend...without wine! unrealistic
Suggestion 4: A picture weekend...with wine! getting closer
Suggestion 5: A picture month...in another country...with meditation and with wine!
BINGO!
Well...realistic for the pictures. Unrealistic for our lives!
In all seriousness now, we agree:
It's not like we don't care.
It's not like we don't want.
It's not like we don't love.
Why? We're busy? We're lazy?
Right then I admit...
LaRs, I am embarrassed to say...though, I'm grateful to be...I just am not nostalgic!
There, I said it.
I tell her...It's not that I don't care. It's that I'm not there.
I hit the nail on the head for LaRs too. Relieved from my embarrassment, I am delighted that my cohort is in agreement. My friend is now my cohort in non-nostalgic-living-non-picture-looking-atterer-organizing.
We discuss.
I speak to LaRs about my theory on living many lives within the whole life. It brings some light to our conversation. It brings more light to my contemplation. As we talk it out, I think about it and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I realize maybe that is why my pictures are still in boxes...are still in drawers...I haven't even laid eyes on them. Maybe that is why I am not nostalgic. Why revisit a past life, of which I have already transitioned out of, when you can't go back? I would be afraid that I would miss those moments, those lives. I certainly could never make those moments physically come back. Moreover, emotional attachment would be unrealistic... because even though I am the same girl, I am not the same person....growing to be a different person through all of life's transitions.
So this, here, now, is my next life. Kids almost all-growed up. A transition in jobs. Physically feeling the best I've ever felt. Finding more freedom with time. Emotionally changing and intellectually growing. Making decisions to get what I want and want what I get. This is my 7th life. No other life. Not the 3rd. Not the 5th. And, not the 9th. This is the 7th. And, so far, rather pleasing.
It's not about my Nine Lives.
Today, it's about my 7th.
Ciao for now!
k
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