Notes from Steve

My birthday celebrations were great*.  I talked about my word for this next year (plus).  Its easy - “allow”.  My perspective on allow is that in the big scheme of things - I’m not in charge.  Yes, I have free will, and I’m not going to allow myself to do stupid things, but when opportunities arise and it feels like something that makes my life better - I will allow it.  (Like I was offered a ticket to see one of my favorite authors last week, and I thought, “Oh, it might rain .. maybe not” … Then I thought, “You’d regret it if you didn’t go” and I went, and it was incredible.)

Admittedly, I have a problem with allowing. It goes against everything I believe in to give up control and allow things to happen.  It’s just not how I typically do things.  But I feel that stepping back and accepting reality with grace and reverence is probably a more mature perspective.  As much as I wanted to deny the age 60, it wasn’t going to happen.  There are a lot of things in life that require us to accept and move on. 

So - I’m going to allow.  But - I’m going to allow on my terms.  With zhuzh!**

*I was telling my friends who I was riding with on my 60-mile birthday ride that I was really glad they were my friends because we continually challenge each other to be better bicyclists - stronger, faster and longer distances.  I thought about this when I was eating Milk Duds that were hanging close to the wintergreen breath mints … and they (the Milk Duds) tasted like wintergreen.  So, sometimes your friends influence you to greater heights and sometimes they make you smell.  

**To make (something) more lively and interesting, stylish, or appealing, as by a small change or addition.