Brightly Burn The Torch…
Andy Borrows blog is mis-named Older But No Wiser. Since I started blogging well over a year ago, one of the bright spots of my reads has been checking in on Andy and his wonderfully varied life. One never knew what he might be up to next — playing electric bass guitar in a stage production gig, hiking the highlands and bringing back beautifully composed and presented photographs to share, or taking a weekend road trip on his new motorcycle. Of course, all that and more is on top of a full schedule of having a career as a working stiff for a major British company, nurturing his dedication as a family man, and somehow finding time to blog along with us. Yes, Andy is getting older, is probably starting to feel the realizations and uncertainties of middle age (crisis?), but his marquee claim to be no wiser misses the target by a country mile kilometer.
My life in comparison is so one-dimensional and boring. But Andy, like many of us who have reached cruising speed in our mid-years, questions his accomplishments, laments his perceived failures to achieve certain dreams and goals, and is frequently found searching for more. His is one of the more unique voices I read, so transparently open and honest, showing his soft underbelly, his fears, yes, even his failures along with his accomplishments. What a wonderful place this could be if we could all allow ourselves to openly display our vulnerabilities as does Andy. Far too much effort is spent applying makeup to cover our blemishes, while simultaneously embellishing and highlighting what we perceive as our beauty marks. Not Andy…
Andy continues his open struggle with life, dreams, failures, and accomplishments in a series of posts, this one perhaps being the most definitive. Included in his response to comments on that post, and in the follow-on post, Andy shares these powerful words from George Bernard Shaw:
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
…
This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
Thank you, Andy, for sharing yourself with us and for showing us how to be open and honest. Thank you for being a shining example of logging your life, day by day, event by event, for all of us to see and read and share and learn from. If you need to change something for you, just do it. You need change nothing for us.
6 Comments so far
Well, what can I say, Winston?
Did I ever mention that one of my many failings is an inability to respond adequately to compliments? I have a tendency just to shuffle uncomfortably and gaze shyly at my toes…
But that’s a feeble excuse (although a better one is that my brain is shutting down owing to the temperature over here - hottest July day in London on record, I believe, at over 36deg C. And muggins here was out on his motorcycle, in full leathers, as the sun was at its zenith. But that’s another story).
Thank you in so many ways - for being such a loyal reader, for being so generous and open not only with this post here, but in the thoughtful - and, most importantly, helpful - comments you so regularly leave for me, even though I mostly fail to return the favour. The blogosphere is a better place for having you here in it.
And hey; I do NOT believe your life is one-dimensional and boring!
(Edited 7/19/06 by Winston as requested by Andy)
Darn! What happened to the *not* in that last sentence of mine? It was in em tags and it’s got shifted off to the right…
What that’s *meant* to say is, of course, I do *not* believe your life is one-dimensional and boring!
(WordPress comments are weird that way. Go figure… I *hoped* I knew what you meant.
…Winston)
maybe you could edit the comment for me?
(Done. 7/19/06. Winston)
(The following comment received by email due to tech problems with comment function, and posted by Winston)
I don’t think your life seems boring and one-dimensional either. It certainly gives me much joy. Not too long ago, a friend sent me the following quote. It seemed in a similar vein to your post, so I thought I’d send it on. I don’t know the source.
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughy used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO, what a ride!”
I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent reading your blog. And I always look forward to reading your comments to other bloggers, particularly Peter. I will continue on.
Wishing you all good things.
Elsie
i always thought sliding into home plate was a great way to go out…just croak right there with your hands and arms outstretched over the plate and dust all over the place..or flopping over dead on top of a republicans ass whipped carcass.that would be good…
Though I don’t think I buy the your-life-in-comparison part (especially not after “the chair” episode), I can still say thanks for this post. I am moved by Andy’s perspective to restore some of the lost luster to my own efforts. Here’s to “catching up” and the good stuff I’ve missed. Here’s to burning torches! -mg