I looked at the spoons in the tray as I hunted for the kind I wanted. Not wanting just any spoon to scoop my granola with, I was looking for the best to my liking (Oneida flatware). I spotted one of them, and set it to the side. I prefer a quality spoon with just the right curve and weight.
Satisfied, I pour my milk in the bowl and proceed to eat my breakfast. I am aware of this every time I am going to eat with a spoon. When I'm stirring sugar in my coffee or in my iced tea, I don't care which spoon to use. I am less picky because the spoon's function is different.
I think back to my Grandpa long ago when I was a youth. Grandpa liked just the right spoon, too. He preferred a thin-edged, well-worn silver spoon (silverware) with a deep scoop to it, over other types of spoons. He liked using a silver spoon when eating soup, oatmeal, pudding, or ice cream. I remember him saying that he didn't like metal spoons as well.
Does that sound silly? I remember thinking it was sort of silly. A spoon is a spoon, right? Nope. Now that I am older and more decided in my preferences, I am more like my grandfather and more particular in what it takes to satisfy me. I prefer the best tool rather than the adequate or better tool. I am less content with status quo or just okay. I like what I like and choose what I prefer when life affords it.
What does this say about life? about me? about choices I make? I have grown to appreciate certain things more than others. Most of us seniors are that way. We have grown with life. We have become more aware of what works and what doesn't work for us. We gravitate to what serves our purposes and in the best possible way. Our likes have become preferences that now are more pronounced than they used to be. You have learned what works best and you consistently apply certain tools to accomplish defined tasks.
You use what works best for you but you also notice what others are using. It pays to pay attention to what is available. A parent demonstrates to their child the way to proceed and accomplish an undertaking. A sloppy or poorly completed endeavor is an indicator of using the wrong materials, rushing through, or not fully focusing. We don't have time for wasting time. Really.
Make good choices as best as you can. Selecting the spoon I want demonstrates a nonverbal desire to be pleased and satisfied. In life, that is a good thing . . . unless someone else wants the same spoon at the same time -- but that's another story. Choose what works the best for you. I've been indecisive for most of my life, I'm done with that way of living.
I want my next twenty to thirty years to count. I don't want to waste time on what won't deliver the goods, this includes relationships and endeavors. I won't settle for less. Don't you settle for less.
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