Punch
I have had this piece of writing by Maya Angelou on my mind this week, so I wanted to share it with you. I read it in AP English my senior year of high school and it has stuck with me.
"Now that I am firmly settled into my fifth decade; and pressing with resolute determination toward my sixth, I find nothing so pleases me as much as outsize gaudy earrings, off-the-shoulder blouses, and a few red hibiscus blooms pinned into my hair.
Do I look incongruous? Possibly to the young. Do I feel that way? Decidedly not. I have reached the lovely age where sensuality satisfies me as much as sexuality and sometimes more so.
As a sensualist, I would have my ears filled with the world's music, the free laughter of old folks sitting in the last sunlight, and the whirr of busy bees in the early morning. I want to hear the sharp sound of tap dancing and the murmur of a spiritual half remembered, the whisper of a lover entreating a beloved. All sounds of life and living, death and dying, will find welcome places in my ears.
My eyes will gladly receive colors: the orange skin of old Black women on buses, and the cool lavendar of certain people's eyes. I like the tomato red dresses of summer, the threatening dark green of rain forests, and the sunshine yellow of a bowl of lemons. And I will have blue. The iridescent blue of hummingbird wings and the dusty blue twilight in North Carolina.
Let taste and smell be firmly joined, a marriage of love and senses. Let the scent of fresh-cut citrus join the aroma of strawberries in delighting my salivary glands. Give me the smell of the sea and the wild scent of mountain pines. I do not refuse the acrid smell of burnt rubber of city streets or the pungent scent of fresh sweat, for they remind me of the bitterness of chocolate and the sting of vinegar.
And the sense of touch - last, but hardly least. I wish for the feel of silky underclothes and the pinch of sand in my beach shoes. I welcome the sun on my back and snow on my face. I want the crunch of hazelnuts between my teeth and ice cream melting on my tongue. Clothes that fit snugly without squeezing and strong, fearless hands that caress without pain."
These beautiful, yet simple descriptions of how amazing our senses are just strike a chord with me. I love a lot of Maya Angelou's writing, but this seems especially poignant right now. Summer is a time of the year that I am so thankful that I still have all 5 senses working properly. I continue to aspire to appreciate the simple things in life and focus on the positive. It is something that I struggle with daily, but I am slowly learning to turn my "depressive thoughts" into positive ones - at least that's what my counselor calls it ;-)
I have been trying so hard to focus on the "now" and not get caught up in the what-ifs and the what could've beens. I have been savoring driving with the windows down and inhaling the scents of summer - the ocean breezes and the humid night air as you drive past corn fields. I got to spend some time in North Carolina with my family this past week and it was great to just sit on the porch and drink coffee, take a run, walk on the beach, and play in the sand with my nephew. I love seeing the world through his eyes. He was so pumped to go to the beach everyday to build sandcastles, see ghost crabs, and enjoy the ocean. Flying a kite was the highlight of his evening, and he loves to be a dinosaur when he eats. It is awesome. It reminds me that I have to just stop taking things seriously, let go a little, and remember to enjoy the small stuff.
I absolutely love my job at Wine and Design and today, I was reminded again that no matter how young or old you are, your imagination and creativity is something that should be celebrated. I taught a 5-year old's birthday party this morning and watched all of their faces light up when they got to paint. Then, tonight, there was an older woman with her right arm (which was also the dominant one) basically pinned to her side and in a sling. She had an injury, but was determined to paint her picture the best that she could. She was patient, relaxed, and not hard on herself at all. Her picture turned out beautiful even thought she was doing it one-handed with her non-dominant hand! She was a rockstar and I feel like she embodied what Maya Angelou was trying to say. Appreciate your senses -all of them. Appreciate the good AND the bad. The bitterness of life makes the sweet parts that much sweeter. I am certainly working on all of these things myself and I hope that when I get to my "fifth decade" that I will be as fulfilled and content to be myself as Ms. Angelou.
"Now that I am firmly settled into my fifth decade; and pressing with resolute determination toward my sixth, I find nothing so pleases me as much as outsize gaudy earrings, off-the-shoulder blouses, and a few red hibiscus blooms pinned into my hair.
Do I look incongruous? Possibly to the young. Do I feel that way? Decidedly not. I have reached the lovely age where sensuality satisfies me as much as sexuality and sometimes more so.
As a sensualist, I would have my ears filled with the world's music, the free laughter of old folks sitting in the last sunlight, and the whirr of busy bees in the early morning. I want to hear the sharp sound of tap dancing and the murmur of a spiritual half remembered, the whisper of a lover entreating a beloved. All sounds of life and living, death and dying, will find welcome places in my ears.
My eyes will gladly receive colors: the orange skin of old Black women on buses, and the cool lavendar of certain people's eyes. I like the tomato red dresses of summer, the threatening dark green of rain forests, and the sunshine yellow of a bowl of lemons. And I will have blue. The iridescent blue of hummingbird wings and the dusty blue twilight in North Carolina.
Let taste and smell be firmly joined, a marriage of love and senses. Let the scent of fresh-cut citrus join the aroma of strawberries in delighting my salivary glands. Give me the smell of the sea and the wild scent of mountain pines. I do not refuse the acrid smell of burnt rubber of city streets or the pungent scent of fresh sweat, for they remind me of the bitterness of chocolate and the sting of vinegar.
And the sense of touch - last, but hardly least. I wish for the feel of silky underclothes and the pinch of sand in my beach shoes. I welcome the sun on my back and snow on my face. I want the crunch of hazelnuts between my teeth and ice cream melting on my tongue. Clothes that fit snugly without squeezing and strong, fearless hands that caress without pain."
These beautiful, yet simple descriptions of how amazing our senses are just strike a chord with me. I love a lot of Maya Angelou's writing, but this seems especially poignant right now. Summer is a time of the year that I am so thankful that I still have all 5 senses working properly. I continue to aspire to appreciate the simple things in life and focus on the positive. It is something that I struggle with daily, but I am slowly learning to turn my "depressive thoughts" into positive ones - at least that's what my counselor calls it ;-)
I have been trying so hard to focus on the "now" and not get caught up in the what-ifs and the what could've beens. I have been savoring driving with the windows down and inhaling the scents of summer - the ocean breezes and the humid night air as you drive past corn fields. I got to spend some time in North Carolina with my family this past week and it was great to just sit on the porch and drink coffee, take a run, walk on the beach, and play in the sand with my nephew. I love seeing the world through his eyes. He was so pumped to go to the beach everyday to build sandcastles, see ghost crabs, and enjoy the ocean. Flying a kite was the highlight of his evening, and he loves to be a dinosaur when he eats. It is awesome. It reminds me that I have to just stop taking things seriously, let go a little, and remember to enjoy the small stuff.
I absolutely love my job at Wine and Design and today, I was reminded again that no matter how young or old you are, your imagination and creativity is something that should be celebrated. I taught a 5-year old's birthday party this morning and watched all of their faces light up when they got to paint. Then, tonight, there was an older woman with her right arm (which was also the dominant one) basically pinned to her side and in a sling. She had an injury, but was determined to paint her picture the best that she could. She was patient, relaxed, and not hard on herself at all. Her picture turned out beautiful even thought she was doing it one-handed with her non-dominant hand! She was a rockstar and I feel like she embodied what Maya Angelou was trying to say. Appreciate your senses -all of them. Appreciate the good AND the bad. The bitterness of life makes the sweet parts that much sweeter. I am certainly working on all of these things myself and I hope that when I get to my "fifth decade" that I will be as fulfilled and content to be myself as Ms. Angelou.
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