Some time back a friend recommended the book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters at the End by Atul Gawande. I listened to it while walking to and from the boys' school, home, and my work. The book makes a lot of very good points. It has led me reflect on my life and death and to have a conversation with John about what to do when my health deteriorates precipitously. It is a worthwhile read.
Why did I post this ordinary street scene here? I did so to explain an idea that struck me in the book, and that I want to remember.
One day as I was walking from the boys' school to an archive and listening to the book, I stopped myself to look at the buildings and the scene around me. I had remembered that I have limited time in Buenos Aires and that I need to savor the city. At the same time, I thought that if I had relocated permanently to Buenos Aires, I probably would think nothing of the scene around me, and if I did, I would be seeing the peeling paint, the graffiti, the cracks in the buildings and the sidewalks, and the trash. Most likely I would be wrapped up in my daily concerns and think little about the scene around me. Then my thoughts turned to my life in Phoenix. Why do I try to savor the scene around me in Buenos Aires but I rarely do so in Phoenix? I decided that I need to change my mindset and also savor the environment around me wherever I am. Every place has its beauty and interesting details.
At the same time that this thought came to me, Gawande discussed how our perspective about life changes based on how long we think we have to live. He finds that “how we seek to spend our time may depend on how much time we perceive ourselves to have.” If we perceive that we have limited time (like I do regarding Buenos Aires) we see life and prioritize our activities differently than if we perceive that we unlimited time (like I have done regarding Phoenix).
I want to keep this idea in the back of my mind. Clearly, I do not have unlimited time. I will die. I need to remember to enjoy wherever I am and look on the bright side. Also, I decided, I don't want to get sucked into wasting an excessive amount of time playing Sudoku when I would rather be reading a novel or doing else. Hence, I eventually made myself delete the game from my cell phone.
One day as I was walking from the boys' school to an archive and listening to the book, I stopped myself to look at the buildings and the scene around me. I had remembered that I have limited time in Buenos Aires and that I need to savor the city. At the same time, I thought that if I had relocated permanently to Buenos Aires, I probably would think nothing of the scene around me, and if I did, I would be seeing the peeling paint, the graffiti, the cracks in the buildings and the sidewalks, and the trash. Most likely I would be wrapped up in my daily concerns and think little about the scene around me. Then my thoughts turned to my life in Phoenix. Why do I try to savor the scene around me in Buenos Aires but I rarely do so in Phoenix? I decided that I need to change my mindset and also savor the environment around me wherever I am. Every place has its beauty and interesting details.
At the same time that this thought came to me, Gawande discussed how our perspective about life changes based on how long we think we have to live. He finds that “how we seek to spend our time may depend on how much time we perceive ourselves to have.” If we perceive that we have limited time (like I do regarding Buenos Aires) we see life and prioritize our activities differently than if we perceive that we unlimited time (like I have done regarding Phoenix).
I want to keep this idea in the back of my mind. Clearly, I do not have unlimited time. I will die. I need to remember to enjoy wherever I am and look on the bright side. Also, I decided, I don't want to get sucked into wasting an excessive amount of time playing Sudoku when I would rather be reading a novel or doing else. Hence, I eventually made myself delete the game from my cell phone.
It is easy to be positive when I can post to this blog in such a beautiful setting with a good glass of wine and cheese. But this photo overlooks some of the negative things that I could focus on...the stained cement, the broken leg on the chair, the light bulb that needs changing (and first needs to be purchased), the decrepit buildings in the background, the work hanging over my head, worries about the boys playing too many video games, dinner that I need to cook, and my never-ending to do list.