I like going to funerals and gathering wisdom nuggets:
"The only thing you can do with a pair of gloves on, is wet your pants."
"If you act busy, people won't talk to you."
"Just keep keepin' on."
"They are the best parents, because they are my parents."
"Good is better than Great."
"Don't do dumb stuff."
I get to sing at many funerals. I have a "trick" so I can sing and not end up a blithering mess with piano underscoring. I take out my contacts, and blow up the music really big so I can still see it, but not see the audience. I am an empathetic crier. If someone is crying I always join in. When I can't see the criers, I can keep on singing.
I sang at a graveside service one time for my great Aunt Elsie. It was a small group of people gathered on a wide expanse of green grass, around an open grave site on a beautiful sunny day. As the first few notes of Amazing Grace filled the air I was feeling pretty good about myself. No tears. Solid voice. I was getting into it and so were the other mourners when all of a sudden rain bird type sprinklers popped up out of the ground all across the lawn and the water was slowly chugging our way.
The next few moments were slow motion.
I was singing, and the mourners were looking around wondering what to do and how this was all going to play out. Do you stop singing? Do you run away from sprinkler water at a funeral or just stand there and take it? What’s the precedence? Well, I sang faster and faster and the mourners braced for impact. All of a sudden, from the corner of my eye the Funeral director- suit, tie and all, was running at full speed toward the sprinkler shut off box.
Would he make it and turn it off in time?
Would he trip?
Would we all get drenched?
Right as the water would have doused us and our grave site, the sprinklers died down and the water spout went to a dribble.
Phew. We were saved! We sent up a silent cheer. It was amazing.
The song ended, and we all laughed nervously.
Life is full of surprises.
Who knows what the next moment will bring?
So with all of the uncertainty why does it even matter what we do?
What does it matter if we over eat, over drink, binge watch shows on Netflix, spend all day on social media, veg out with video games, charge up credit cards with too much online shopping, take drugs, watch porn, NUMB out on our lives?
BECAUSE that’s no way to live.
BECAUSE that’s not who we were born to be.
BECAUSE life is too short to fill it up with dumb stuff.
All of life is better, even with unexpected sprinklers coming our way, if we manage your thoughts. And, the good news is, It’s never too late to figure this out.
Dory, the fish, would say, “Just keep swimming.”
The funeral singer would say, “Just keep singing.”
I say- Just change your thoughts, this will change your life.
I can teach you how to live your BEST life and not want to numb it.
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