Aging is an interesting thing.  In 2020, I deeply appreciate my years of experience.

I’ve enjoyed the freedom to do what I have pleased for most of my working life.  A great deal of doing what gave me pleasure when I was in my teen’s and twenties, was going to parties, dances, concerts and night clubs.  I enjoyed many a classroom where I was eager to learn and socialize with others.

As I grew older, I capitalized on my love for the outdoors.  I’ve sunbathed and swam at beaches, skied on a dozen mountains, enjoyed white water rafting, running, hiking in beautiful B.C., the redwoods of Northern California, in Cinque Terre, the Camino in Spain and bicycling in the Loire Valley, California’s wine country, Morocco and Thailand.

During my career I traveled a lot, speaking at conferences in Los Angeles, London, Palm Beach and Israel to name a few.  For rest and rejuvenation, I’ve attended retreats in India, Thailand, Austria, California and Spain.  I’ve lost count of the number of airplanes I’ve flown on.  I’ve golfed all over B.C. and Washington State Hawaii, Bahamas, Mexico’s Baha, St. Lucia, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Florida, St. Kits & Nevis, France, Jersey and Pebble Beach.

Freedom of movement is something that I took for granted.  I never envisioned a time where my individual freedoms would be restricted due to a virus.  Not being able to move about as I do, is a first world problem, I know.  Coming from nothing, I remain grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater that I enjoy this lifestyle.

I look back to my youth and my heart goes out to the children who are missing out on so much of the positive experience of school, playing and having fun. Most of our patterns of thinking are formulated in the first six years of life.  I wonder how the COVID pandemic will affect the thinking of the youngest of us.  We won’t know the full impact for years to come.

I empathize with the university students who can’t go to parties, sporting events, classes and study in the library.  Online learning, being tucked away in their dorms and housing is not what one aspires to when seeking out a university education.

I notice views on the effectiveness of social distancing are diverging with more people realizing that lockdowns do not work.  I foresee protests ahead until our governments realize that we need to learn to live with this virus. Sweden remains a role model.  Change is inevitable.

Interestingly, conspiracy theories are on the rise because of the pandemic, Trump-ness and the uprising for civil rights.  Apparently 5G Towers caused COVID despite technical and medical experts saying it’s not possible.  QAnon, the US government official with top secret clearance has been telling us that Trump is leading a crusade against a network of sex predators.  Did you know Joe Biden is a pedophile?  And Bill Gates might as well be Satan’s best friend.  He is using the pandemic to implant trackable microchips in humans so I’m told.

Doggone, some people are actin’ crazier than a sprayed roach!

What I observe is fascinating.  By stepping into ‘OBSERVER’, I can relax amid this global storm of anxiety and contradiction.  Observer doesn’t take on the drama of me or you.  It’s a powerful position to adopt because it diffuses emotion and that’s extremely important during times of high stress.

1^st Position is ME.  This is a great stance to take when we want to reach a goal. I’m strong in my own shoes.

2^nd Position is YOU.  By standing in your shoes, I understand your point of view.  I can then communicate with you in a more effective way.

3^rd Position is neither you, nor I, it’s OBSERVER who looks at you and I without emotion. Observer walks without shoes.   I refer to this position as my inner monk because Observer provides a Zen-like perspective.

“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands”.  – Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

In 3^rd I remain calm and appreciate my 2019 choice to create a podcast and concentrate on writing, neither of which require social distancing.  The timing of such makes me wonder if I had a little help from divine intervention.  From my point of view, we can all tap into a universal wisdom by quieting our minds, trusting our intuition and stepping into Observer.

Calmly listen to the voice in your head and ask yourself if what you are saying to yourself is true.  Is it truth or speculation?  How is that thought serving you?

Even a blind mule doesn’t trip over the same rock twice!

My Story