Enjoying Life

When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, 25 years ago in February 1990, he said he felt that he'd climbed a very big hill only to see many hills ahead. This after 26 years of incarceration. He went on climbing the hills. I know this detail because there's a newspaper cutting paying tribute to Mandela's life, dated 8 Dec 2013, three days after his death, pinned to the wall of our toilet.

In my down times, which are not all that frequent but can be persistent- with a tendency to snowball till shaken off- that is how I feel, that life is a succession of problems. I feel tired, of one problem after another, I feel trapped by external forces, dragging me down and grinding away my peace of mind. Tired of constant harassment and demands that deprive me of 'freedom'. Small things the size of a pea seem like a football. The proverbial molehill looks like a mountain.

Yet unlike Nelson Mandela I have never been incarcerated. I have freedom of choice every day to use my time however I wish. I can indulge in a glass of wine, watch television, go for a walk, kiss my wife, enjoy home cooking, take a hot bath, talk to friends, rub my dog's velvet ears, or smell the fresh air or rain or sit and watch the sunset, every day of my life if I so choose.

The point is that it is up to me. I can choose to dwell on negatives or problems and let them dominate me, or I can revel in the freedom I have and the beauty around me and just deal with things as best I can as I have the need to.

Yesterday I met a man who had recently fought a battle with cancer. He has fully recovered but there are no guarantees. He said every day is a bonus and he lets nothing get him down now.

None of us have any say in where we are born or the circumstances. Much of what comes to us is out of our control. How we respond is up to us.

I'm enjoying life. We have booked a flight to Europe and a Mediterranean cruise and a week on Crete for later this year. How good is that for something to look forward to?