Saturday, March 12, 2005
My Zeneration
Tooling down the Florida highway with Nancy the other day, fresh from our latest Mall experience, we were discussing her ironing adventure the day before. Needless to say, she hadn't as yet read my blog discussing her various Zen activities although in good conscience I felt compelled to let her know that I had indeed written my thoughts on ironing and her Zen genes in general. As she extolled the relaxing qualities of ironing, I wondered aloud where I might have been the day these extraordinary genes were handed out. Nancy described an experience unlike any I've ever known while tackling a pile of wrinkled clothing. She was actually singing a song as she took a break from ironing!!!
Ok, something is definitely amiss here...no one sings while ironing...at least not in my world! Finally, the answer came to me like a bolt of lightening. It was so obvious I had completely missed it. Nancy is five years younger than me. She was still playing with dolls when I was in high-heels. Plus she was the youngest child and had never had children besides the five furry boys that now reside with her and her husband. Eureka!!! I looked at Nancy in the midst of her ironing reverie and declared " Well, it's obvious....we come from two different Zenerations!". Well, I've had blank looks directed at me before but Nancy's took the prize. So I proceeded to explain...you know, GENerations...ZENerations...got it? Yeah my sense of humor can be a little off-base sometimes but GEEZ, this was a really good one.
It must have finally become clear because when I visited Nancy & Harlan and the menagerie yesterday, Zeneration was the word of the day. In fact we were all singing that old song....."Talking 'bout my Zeneration". So maybe you had to be there to appreciate it.
Although I constantly lament the lack of Zen genes, it occured to me today that I do actually have these genes. What Nancy calls Zen is good old-fashioned relaxation. It's something that I'm just beginning to relearn after three children, five grandchildren, a family business and all the other stuff that keeps our minds whirling like a top gone wild. Sitting on our lanai in Florida soaking up the last warm rays of sunlight before returning to Maryland, I found my Zen. It was there all the time. All I needed was the quiet to tune into myself and just chill.
Tooling down the Florida highway with Nancy the other day, fresh from our latest Mall experience, we were discussing her ironing adventure the day before. Needless to say, she hadn't as yet read my blog discussing her various Zen activities although in good conscience I felt compelled to let her know that I had indeed written my thoughts on ironing and her Zen genes in general. As she extolled the relaxing qualities of ironing, I wondered aloud where I might have been the day these extraordinary genes were handed out. Nancy described an experience unlike any I've ever known while tackling a pile of wrinkled clothing. She was actually singing a song as she took a break from ironing!!!
Ok, something is definitely amiss here...no one sings while ironing...at least not in my world! Finally, the answer came to me like a bolt of lightening. It was so obvious I had completely missed it. Nancy is five years younger than me. She was still playing with dolls when I was in high-heels. Plus she was the youngest child and had never had children besides the five furry boys that now reside with her and her husband. Eureka!!! I looked at Nancy in the midst of her ironing reverie and declared " Well, it's obvious....we come from two different Zenerations!". Well, I've had blank looks directed at me before but Nancy's took the prize. So I proceeded to explain...you know, GENerations...ZENerations...got it? Yeah my sense of humor can be a little off-base sometimes but GEEZ, this was a really good one.
It must have finally become clear because when I visited Nancy & Harlan and the menagerie yesterday, Zeneration was the word of the day. In fact we were all singing that old song....."Talking 'bout my Zeneration". So maybe you had to be there to appreciate it.
Although I constantly lament the lack of Zen genes, it occured to me today that I do actually have these genes. What Nancy calls Zen is good old-fashioned relaxation. It's something that I'm just beginning to relearn after three children, five grandchildren, a family business and all the other stuff that keeps our minds whirling like a top gone wild. Sitting on our lanai in Florida soaking up the last warm rays of sunlight before returning to Maryland, I found my Zen. It was there all the time. All I needed was the quiet to tune into myself and just chill.
