Blog Like No One is Reading

There is an old saying that goes something like this: Dance like no one is watching. So many people have lived life with that same enthusiasm and I completely understand it. Sometimes I fail to live that way, but I do get it.

When I was a teenager, a bunch of us guys played football every Sunday after church. We never needed to ask each other if we were playing. We just showed up, picked sides and played until late in the evening. We played in rain, snow and heat. All week long, we looked forward to doing that. Some of our games were huge and sometimes we did not have a large number of players.

I do not recall the last time we all got together and played. Most of us do not even stay in touch anymore. I know for sure two of the regulars have died but there could be more. Sometimes in the fall, the smell of the autumn air takes me back in my memories.

I wonder what we would have done differently if we had known it was the last time we would get together and play football. Part of me would like to think we would have all gone out to eat or had a cookout that celebrated the fun we shared. Would we have played a little while longer? Could each team have had the ball just one more time?

As an adult, I have often remembered this and have tried to apply this thinking to similar situations. I do remember the last time I played a real pickup game of basketball. My 3 older children and I had gone over to a basketball court near our house. We played hard and I was wearing a pair of deck shoes and ended up with blisters covering both feet. And I loved it.

That marked one of the last days my middle daughter spoke to me. That occurred more than 5 years ago and she still chooses to be estranged from me. She is an amazing young lady and I am so proud of her and I love her. I am pretty sure she does not share these sentiments but I can only control myself.

I decided to share this because I am going to blog like no one is reading. Part of the inspiration for this approach comes from reading The Thorn Hearts by Dr. Danuta Fabisiak. Recently I met Dr. Fabisiak and she is as genuine and forth coming as her book. She writes with truth and honesty and sometimes, I can read the pain in between the lines. That is real. That IS life.

So, what will you do today that might be the last time you do it? Will you run for health and even though you are distracted by life, finish your run? Will it be putting down the dish rag and playing for a few minutes with one of your kids? Will it be telling your spouse how much you appreciate them?

We are not guaranteed 5 more minutes. Live hard within your moral framework. Enjoy life. Tomorrow, I will be featuring a guest blogger and I know you will enjoy.