LIVING LIFE THAT PASSES THE TEST OF TIME

Living life? If that’s the answer you hear after asking someone how they’re doing, keep talking.

Living the dream? Living life to the fullest? Those are okay, but living life is a problem?

Why not ask a question, accept the answer, and move on? Because you care so damn much it hurts.

Is that it?

Any question about what it means to ‘Live life’ feels the same as the suicide question: Have you ever thought of killing yourself?

That one goes off the rails fast when the questioner gets asked, “Are you okay?” as an answer.

When did a health question become an accusation? When someone asks about suicide and sounds suicidal in the asking.

Now they’re the problem, not the person with a stock of pills and bullets in case things take a sudden downturn.

When Is Living Life The Right Answer

When a vague acquaintance asks how things are, it’s polite conversation. When someone closer asks, but not that close, go ahead and get into some details of how you’re doing, but not too many.

Who can ask the question and deal with the can of worms called life?

Start with a counselor who charges a good buck to help you wade through your mess. They’ve heard it all before, or at least throw up their professional facade.

If you have regular medical checkups, get into it with your doctor. Tell them how you really feel, your angst, anxiety, anger. Go Triple A with them.

If in the end they say, “Congratulations, you’re living life, you’re fine,” look for another trusted confidant.

What Is The Test Of Time

This one is trickier than it sounds, because the answer goes two directions: Either you’re alive to answer, or someone else answers for you because you’re not available.

Which brings things up up to date.

History will look at the covid era and wag it’s finger. When political leaders send out quack advice, and doctors’ recommendations get questioned, the hill gets steeper to walk.

Like the ancient Greeks who aren’t around to complain about the ripoff art work of the Roman Empire, Coronavirus history will eventually lay down with everything else.

The fog of time will either exonerate the dipshits complaining about wearing a mask, what a mask does, and who it’s REALLY for, or . . . no it won’t.

Who understands better the need to protect ourselves from others, and others from ourselves, than the people who have passed. But their truth moved along with them.

Someone else speaks for them in a statistical language that changes love and affection into a column of numbers.

In a world targeted by a freaking virus, there are still many who deny its power. And even more who tether themselves to virus deniers, right up until it hits close to them.

How To Pass The Personal Test Of Time

Since it’s a personal test of time I’ll use a familiar example, me.

If living life means blindly following the latest thing of interest, brace yourself.

Live your life by way of the daily challenge: be like a ray of light in shadows, not like lint in a furry gootch. The light is reflected to others, the lint not so much.

If you’ve ever been slammed to the point of no return, yet still recovered, then you’ll understand what comes next.

The little things, the small gestures, and your ability to help convey their meaning, is foundation work.

We all look at the tops of tall buildings way up there. How tall is it? How many floors? How often is the foundation brought up? Not much, but without it, the rest comes down.

I saw the Louvre on a Paris trip and took the tour, a Rick Steves tour. We were guided down, down, down to the staging area of I.M. Pei’s remodel. His team dug down to the foundation, then some more. It was awesome.

Afterward a few of us saw Mona Lisa, which was also a treat, and foundation work for other artists. Both pass the test of time.

If you find yourself living life the best you can, check your foundation if you want to leave a legacy. If it’s weak, so long; if it’s strong, you ain’t going nowhere.

Be memorable, fun, and good to be around. All it takes is patience, understanding, and a willingness to be ignored when you want more attention.

When it feels like your time to shine, share the light for best results.