Monday Morning Musings

Posted on March 26, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Don’t forget to check out the performance of “The Way of the Cross” at St. Ninian’s Cathedral this week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m.

 

“Food, glorious food,

Hot sausage and mustard.”

Food, Glorious food. Oliver

Skip the hot sausage.

You are what you eat.

The vegan posse finally cornered me, tied me to the ground and forced me to eat gluten free tofu. If you don’t read my column regularly (shame on you!), then you might not be aware that I have occasionally poked fun at people who are proponents of a vegan diet.  Truth be told, most of the food I consumed last year in India would be considered vegan.

I have been doing a lot of research about pain management and diet continues to pop up as a key factor. There is a substantial body of work that would suggest a plant based diet does wonders for arthritic pain. So, I’m going to give this a go. I have a lot to gain and very little to lose, although my guess is that I’ll shed a few pounds when I stop eating bread , and sweets… and meat, dairy etc.

I have given up on the usual treatments of acupuncture, cortisone injections and coconut cream pie… although the pie gives me a temporary high.

I will start by attending the vegan potluck this Wednesday, March 28^th. at the library at 6:30 p.m. I am anxious to learn more about the vegan diet… especially vegan desserts. How will I live without my precious sweets?

I had a big time déjà vu on the weekend. A friend of mine recommended the Netflix series, “Departures.” It’s about two Canadian guys who decide to take a year and travel the world. They leave their homes, girlfriends and work in order to experience the wonders of travel. In season one, episode three, their journey takes them to India. And just like that, bam, I was back there. They arrive in Delhi where I spent three stressful weeks trying to obtain an exit visa. All the sights and sounds came rushing back.

After spending a few days there and a trip to Jaisalmer, they fly to Varanasi. Of all the places I traveled in India, Varanasi affected me the most. It is one of the oldest cities in modern civilization (5,000 years). I won’t bore you with the details. You can read about it in my upcoming book. But watching this show was so riveting.

I try to stay active and involved. It is not a perfect recipe for happiness and contentment but it sure beats boredom and loneliness, twin killers for so many older people. Every person that I have encountered has a gift of some sort. It could be artistic, acumen in business, photography, music, cooking. Having good listening skills may be one of the best. The list is endless. Some talents are in our DNA but more often than not, skills are honed over a lifetime. So, what do you do with your gifts?

Let’s face it. Many of us are staring down the later innings of our lives. This is “go time” so what are you waiting for? Take these gifts and use them while you still have the chance.

We all have regrets and we can’t expunge some of the stupid things we did over a lifetime. That’s what makes us human.

So, go ahead and share those gifts while you still have the chance.

Have a great week.