Deep Longings

The secret longings of a learned man

Are more mysterious than the fabled Phoenix;

Within the oyster grows a hidden pearl

From the deep longings of the boundless sea.

Omar Khayyam

Translated by Ali Dashti

In childhood, our world dances with magic.  All things take on a persona and our imaginings create an adventurous world.  We bound out of bed in the morning ready to face the day and collapse into bed at night having spent every ounce of energy.  There is a lust for life in every moment and an eagerness for the flight into fantasy during our sleeping hours.

Where does this excitement go?  At what point is it drained out of us or get buried so deeply that we forget it is even there?  

As childhood passes, we may find a composition book to jot down our wisps of wonderment, but it ends up tucked away to be discovered in our later years.  Our focus shifts away from nature and the connections with rocks discovered in mud, water dripping from a hose, and racing in the blowing winds.  Gone are the games of cops and robbers, hop scotch, jacks, jump rope and trading cards or marbles.  

No longer children, our minds turn to more serious things like girls, sports, and boys.  We find fascination with more worldly things and struggle to remain who we really are.  We define ourselves by the unspoken rules of fitting in, and let important segments drop away.  

I vividly remember a friend who was so gifted in painting, and desired a life long career in artistic expression, but his parents forbid him to study art in college as 'it was a waste of time and he would never make enough money".  It was as though a light was snuffed out inside of him.  His disposition shifted and so much of how he identified himself simply fell away.

Years later, I ran into him at an artists fair smiling from ear to ear. His retirement offered him time to brush up on  his skills and he found himself back into an artist's studio.  His small following encouraged him to continue forward and he never looked better.

Do we bury our intuition, artistic expression, and magical moments in order to live what others term a 'normal' life?  Then do we unpack all that is buried within once we are older and no longer care about other's expectations?  Do we finally unearth what we knew all along as a child?

Senior Citizens are no longer categorized as tottering old fools.  From the age of 55 and up, this population is using retirement to express deep longings, recapture passions, and make significant contributions to world communities and local neighborhoods.  It is not unusual to learn that a sixty year old friend is 'finally' taking piano or dance lessons, or writing their memoirs, or volunteering to enhance the lives of others.  


Perhaps we can all rekindle artistic expression in our personal lives.  Whether it is cooking, gardening, or saving the world, let our light shine! Shine so brightly that the young can maintain their light throughout their lives, uninterrupted.