Wednesday, October 1, 2008

DO IT NOW

“We must lengthen our stride and must do it now.” President Spencer W. Kimball 12th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


Today, two friends and I went to the opening of Kohl's and then to lunch where we all ate too much, I'm sure.

On the way we stopped at a stoplight behind this car. I am dying to know the owners. What do they do that I don't? Do they ski all winter? Have they started their own company? Do they go to Egypt and ride camels? --I have an insane fondness for camels, I don't know why. They look so regal. Yes, I know they spit.-- Do they go up into the mountains, lie on a blanket and count stars and coyote barks at 2:00 AM? Do they stop at Denny's on the way home and have breakfast at 5:00 AM?What do they do?

I am going to get fit and buy a mountain bike and go to Sundance and ride the ski lift and then bike down. With exuberance. Maybe I will buy a season pass. I will take a notebook and ride to the end of the little road on top of the mountain and write for fifteen minutes before every insanely fast downward journey. Then, perhaps, in the winter I will ski the bike trail that is covered up so I won't be lonesome of it. That's what I think I will do. If I don't do that I am going to do something else courageous.

What do you think you will do? Will it be a courageous thing or a fun thing? Will it be a humanitarian thing or a family thing? Will it be an insanely risky thing or a safe thing? What will you do?

I found two quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt that seemed to fit:

"You must do the things you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt

"The purpose of life it to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." Eleanor Roosevelt

PS On the way home--why, oh why didn't I stop and take a picture?-- we saw a little grey haired lady with--I'm not making this up--a dog on a leash, a chain saw and an untidy 100 foot-long, orange extension cord. What on earth had she been doing? Something courageous? Or, something illegal? Or something that would benefit mankind, like saw off an overhanging branch from a vacant lot, that threatened to sweep bicyclists off their bikes as they pedaled by?

Whatever it was, she did it.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Maybe she has been hypnotized by the dog.
As to the Eleanor quote. I do that every morning when I manage to get this old body out of bed.

Colette Amelia said...

Oh you are a hoot! And do you know what I love Camels too! But as for the mountain biking and skiing remember you must wear a helmut.

Yes living beyond the fear is the only way to live if only it wasn't so scary!

Shawn said...

I have such a HUGE list of things that I want to do in my lifetime----and never take the time to do them all.

You are really going strong on the amazing advice----you GO, GIRL!!

Cindy Price said...

I want to read more good books!! I want to bike more too!! I love to bike. I also want to knock down the pesky brick wall that is stopping me from finding more of my ancestors!!! I wonder if a chain saw would help???