Words that caught me: B-A-I is for 'Be an Inspiration'!

True. We should all strive to be

Good examples. 

But I think that's the bare minimum

Expected of an adult.

I think we should aim for something far richer.

Like this one...

 

We have some family friends, an elderly couple.

They once had a thriving salon business. That's how we met.

And the friendship grew from there.

Since then, we have hiked mountains together,

Gone camping, explored a sub-continent together, and much more.

We've always found their stories,

Especially how they spent their early days together,

Pretty captivating.

One of those stories involves a trailer cabin they once owned,

And did lots of glamping in.

Their stories of driving out, over the weekend,

Parking it on the beach,

And sleeping under the night skies,

Made us dream and yearn for our own trailer cabin.

Their stories of hitch hiking,

And traveling the world on a shoe string budget,

Made us dream of doing it too.

Their stories and love for nature

Infected us with a bug that introduced us to camping tents,

Sleeping bags, hiking boots, camping fires, 

Forest trails, mountain caps…and more.

The other day, one of the couples

Posted photos of flower vases,

Made by spraying cement on a piece of cloth.

She did this to while away the time

During the COVID-lockdown.

I have seen these ideas on Pinterest,

And, in as much as i love interior decor,

I’ve never gotten round to trying it out.

Now, imagine how it felt to see her beating me into it?

Before that, she had recycled candle wax,

And made lovely multi-colored DIY candles,

Adorned with a shiny bead work,

That we were too happy to buy and light away.

Before that, she had picked up the paint brush

And repainted the house, herself!

Then she rummaged the tile shops,

For old and single-piece tiles that no one wanted

And used that to create beautiful tile mosaics.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Before that, they were enjoying an air balloon trip

At the Mara.

Before that, they were hosting some friends for dinner.

Before that....

I can go on and on.

 

And no, they are not stinking rich.

Just ordinary folks, with ordinary incomes,

But living an extraordinary, adventurous life,

Even in the sunset of their lives.

The spirit of nature and adventure

Has never left them.

It has become a huge oak tree -

Solid, recognizable and majestic!

 

My point?

They are certainly good examples

Of how I would love to spend my time here –

Simple, creative and adventurous.

Having a do with the little I have,

And putting experience before anything else.

They are good examples of what's possible

If you prioritize what matters.

But they are more than just that;

Because, through their quiet, ordinary and disarming ways,

They have inspired a yearning

And planted a bug.

A bug that will, in the fullness of time,

Infect and inspire someone else.

 

This is what I think true and mature adulting

Should look and feel like.

We shouldn't stop with just being good examples.

I think we should strive to be sources of inspiration.

I think this is the reason we love quotes.

I think this is what we look for in autobiographies.

I think this is the reason we are in love

With the Hero’s Journey.

I think that’s why we don’t listen much,

But copy and imitate a lot.

I think the best way to improve our lot,

Is not to preach and instruct,

But to, through our choices, inspire others

To see more, and be more.

I think the most important responsibility for adults

Is not to tell,

But to show, influence and inspire.

I think the best way to serve humanity

Is by being a source of inspiration to others.

I think the best thing we can do for our children,

And the next generation,

Is to inspire them to see, through us,

That you do not need a ton of money to live a happy life,

And that not everything in life can be bought,

Or is worth buying.

 

Being an inspiration, I think,

Is the true essence of adulting!

 

*Thanks Fate & Minaxi for being such an inspiration. We love you!

**If this touches you, pick up a pen and write something to someone whose life, choices and deeds have inspired you to see more, and be more. Send them some love. Thank them for being true adults!