If imitation is flattery, poet John Keats should be flattered by my citation of his 1819 poem. Keats abandoned poetry shortly thereafter, in pursuit of “real” paying professional endeavors…That transition followed his “Ode to Melancholy” about life.
Centuries ago – before Christ, Greeks sang publically and emotionally about gloried athletic or natural events – like autumn. Odes are assuredly NOT odious!
I suppose that recording artist Don Henley is a modern-day Keats with his own Ode in 1984 – The Boys of Summer are Gone; “Don’t look back, you can never look back”. Didn’t Satchel Paige also counsel us to avoid looking back? Yes, he did! Taking Keats’ and Henley’s lyrics to heart; let’s look ahead. And how about those “SLAM DIEGO” Padres of ours? Good things are truly worth the wait.
Autumn officially started today with an equinox at 6:24 AM in my time zone and at my longitude and latitude in San Diego. Did you know that a Terminator describes our solar/earthly interaction today? As Ahhhnold often grumbled on big-screens, “it will be back…”
Most of us think of autumn as a transitional phase. Vivaldi did with his memorable Four Seasons composition. And, Keats’ ODE to Autumn is a marvelous bit of fall poetry, a sonnet of 33 lines alluding to perfection, fruitfulness, and labors of love. Lines that eloquently suggested life’s ripenings, harvestings, and ultimately demises. Magical!
On this parallel day for National Voter Registration [HINT], it seems worthy to consider where we are in our own transitions. I alluded to national transitions with the passage of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on last Friday, so let’s get tactical, KABOOMERs with shifts for our betterment and stamininety this fall…
Today, we’re all about our KABOOMER self-ripening, and harvesting for many moons before our ultimate demise. Magical outcomes if we had sown before we reap in a biblical way. Seemingly magical outcomes of transition when a Medicare-aged person learns well and works appropriately on her or his physical portfolio. Each of us working our fertile fields for strength, stability, stamina, and stretching. Breaking from farmer’s walks to clean eating at the family tables. And restfully sleeping before other cool, crisp productive days.
If I was asked to produce 10 queries/thoughts with my own praise for autumn, here they are:
- What is our 90-day action plan for stamininety steps to live longer and better? Recall that our Winter Solstice and our shortest day is “only” 13 weeks away.
- What are our fall activities to praise, even if Tailgate rallies are ZOOMed? Think about what ancient Greeks and Keats celebrated…
- Are we going to do the work necessary to produce results before Thanksgiving feasts in late November?
- Are we going to get our flu shots to potentially boost our overall defenses against microbes?
- Will we get outside to bond with Mother Earth? Example – rustle leaves and get down?
- Can we socially enjoy Hay Rides and mulled apple cider at social distances, of course?
- Can we take advantage of cooler temperatures in our northern hemisphere to help gain restorative sleep as nights get longer?
- Can we sing, hum, and laugh about zany things beyond our control, while getting “right” things in our powers completed?
- Can we enjoy marvelous farm-to-table produce for healing, anti-inflammatory Vitamin”P”? And
- Will we exercise safely – with proper clothes, shoes, and reflective gear to make the most of our exhilarating fall workouts?
I hope so!
Should any reader desire my counsel for ways to work the praises of Autumn – type”WP40” to text #41259, or reach out by email:
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