The Old Fool
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Send to a friend by YMAuthor: Lawrence Bienemann
We where many labels over our lifetime; some we are comfortable with, some we are not. How we feel about ourselves is the most important label we where. If I told you that the fountain of youth lies within your ability to do what you want and risk "looking the fool", would you risk it?
“Just look at that old fool!” When you hear those words, what comes to mind next? On one extreme is the picture of the wealthy older man with the much younger, always attractive female companion or ‘trophy wife.’ On the other stands a man in the middle of a quiet country road enjoying a warm summer rain.
“Old fool” could be a judgment hurled at someone wearing sneakers or blue jeans for the first time in their lives….or, with a new hairstyle – either the dreaded ‘comb-over’ or something a bit more ‘punk.’ A man who talks to his dog or kisses his lady-love in public could be considered an ‘old fool.’ So could one who wears his favorite old, red sweatshirt everywhere or who quits a perfectly good job to embark on an exciting new adventure, for no other reason than he “wants to.”
Many people live their lives in dread of being pronounced an ‘old fool’. It’s possible that ‘fooldom’ holds an abundance of as yet untold pleasures: no pretenses, a lack of self importance, freedom from social expectations, no desire to impress others, increased spontaneity and emotional honesty. More dancing. A comfortable couple of extra inches around the waist. An absence of self-consciousness. An increased desire to comfort rather than to be comforted. A higher level of trust and lower level of surprise or pain when it is violated. More laughs and less angst. Delight in the moment…. in many moments.
What’s the risk in “playing the fool”? Maybe someone will take advantage of you or laugh at you or not appreciate you in some other way. It probably won’t be the first time that any of those things has happened to you.
And the benefits? The possibility of a more open and compassionate heart. If I am not already there, I am striving to become an old fool. You see, I find that the more “fool” that I am, the less ‘old’ I become. Relax the rule, sir.
Lawrence Bienemann is a co-founder of The Sheng Group, a management consulting firm specializing in small business start-ups. He is an RSVP Volunteer in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. He also speaks and writes on issues related to outrageous aging! You can reach him by e-mail at lawrenceb@wildblue.net or 603-838-6577
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