Last night, my husband and I went to a musical performance by Roseanne Cash, winner of multiple Grammy awards, and the oldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash.
Something she said has stuck with me:
“Women my age still have some important things to say. And we don’t have much time left to say them. So the day of hedging one’s bets is over.”
On her website, promoting her latest album, She Remembers Everything, 63-year-old Roseanne says, “There is a woman’s real life, complex experiences and layered understanding in these songs. I could not have written them 10 years ago — not even close.”
“Time is shorter. I have more to say.”
“From this point on there’s nothing certain/except there’s not many miles to go,” she sings in one of the album’s songs.
According to a NYT Review of the album, “Cash contemplates the present as the outcome of a lifetime of choices, balancing memories and prospects, loyalties and second thoughts, repentance and acceptance.”
Isn’t that also what we’re attempting to do in this online community?
Our community of readers, writers, thinkers and listeners is growing rapidly. As we grow in numbers, so too should we continue our path toward personal growth. Our time is shorter. And we have so much more to share.
In that spirit, I’d like to ask you what articles, topics, or conversations on our page have contributed the most to your personal growth. Please share your thoughts and observations, and thank you so much for the community we’re building together.
As a man well past his prime years, I also I am aware that time is shorter and I have more to say. I appreciate this community as a place to express myself.
Regarding your question about topics, I was most drawn to the inquiry into whether your intimate relationship is making you a better person. It certainly is a question well worth consideration, as our time gets shorter. Are we using it well and if not, what action would make the time that’s left a richer growth experience?
“Time is shorter,” .. .yes, I feel that daily. However, my personal position is not so much that I have more to say, but that I have more to do and more to experience. In my life I may have done too much talking and not enough doing. So, I have the push to get going, get moving on what needs to be done. If not now, when? However, I am very interested in learning from others’ experiences and what they have to say, and I do value so much the issues Marlena and Ed develop in this blog. Without scanning the backlog of past topics–all relevant–I’ll agree with Ed’s immediate thought about our intimate relationship and how we make that richer and deeper. I think at least speak with each other about wants and needs, listen, be there, touch, look into each other’s eyes, laugh, create something together, be in nature together. Just some ideas. . . . . enjoy
Thank you, Pat! If not now, when?
Lyrics from the rock band Incubus:
“I’ve waited all my life
If not now, when will I?
Stand up and face the bright light
Don’t hide your eyes
It’s time”
This really answered my problem, thank you!
Thank you for reading!