Trouble, or Not

"The trouble with trouble is it always starts out as fun" Wisdom from the local pizza parlor marquee.

"Getting older is its own beauty" Dalai Lama

I was gifted, from somewhere, a fascinating Facebook post about a Master Penman. If you haven't watched it, go back on my timeline, find it, and watch it. I can't remember seeing such a perfect example of a true art form. I can scribble, sketch, daub paint, and color, but this young man took years, years to perfect his art. Years of study, practice, and failure to achieve near perfection. I believe that his is truly an art form, much more so than the people who can throw color on a canvas, after all monkeys can paint.

This made me ponder how lackadaisical my approach to art has been. How lackadaisical my approach to life has been. When did I ever take the time, patience, passion, love, or trouble to master anything? Art, cooking, gardening, no scholarly study, no precision in home care, hair care, woodworking, or nature? The trouble with passion is it takes care, time, patience, love and yes, trouble to master.

"Jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind. This is what I have always claimed for myself. My passion was; looking, listening, playing at as many interesting endeavors and in as many interesting ways as I possibly could. To say yes to one thing means saying no to all the other fascinating options. Or to put it another way, "You can do anything you want to do, but you can't do everything."

Anyway, I looked up "Jack of all trades..." and found the rest of the quote: "Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one." I am not sure I agree with the rest of the quote wholeheartedly, but it was comforting. The information went on to talk about the person who does have an interest in many areas is called a polymath. "A Jack of all trades may also be a master of integration, as the individual knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manor. Such a person is known as a polymath or a Renaissance man." excuse me, and or woman.

Hum, I'm feeling better and better about my skill sets until the article mentioned Leanardo daVinci as the typical example. Nope -- not me, absolutely NOT me. I'm no daVinci, Einstein, or for that matter Hitler. Too much trouble.

I'm just an old lady who likes a little bit of lots and lots of stuff. I'm not "goofy" enough to be passionate, to quote Jeff's famous line "Passionate people are goofy." I'll leave all the trouble of mastering anything to others, Bronc riding, sky diving, submarine designer, mountain climber can be left to others. I have enough trouble in my life right now.

Fast tracking refinancing the condo, Dr appointments to get skin cancer removed, getting the dryer repaired is all the trouble I want right now. All the trouble I am capable of handling. I went to the dark-side, right to the edge of the Jan universe, attempting to handle all this trouble.

The refinancing of my condo had me coming apart at the seams. Ian, nervously, took over, bless him, all the scanning, electronic signing, attaching. The only thing I actually knew how to do was the emailing. Woe is me. Gathering documents, scanning, signing, researching everything to present to the mortgage company is almost more trouble than it's worth. Almost, I said almost. Bank statements and pay-stubs were easy, finding the policy number for the fire insurance on the condominium complex made me old.

The trouble with me and all my fascinating dabbling is it never included technology. I chastise myself, harshly, because of my technological difficulties, but not enough to go to the trouble of changing it. Ian wants to buy me a better phone, an iPhone, yeah that will be a great boon to confirm my ignorance. I almost don't know what-the-hell it is let alone how-to-use-it. Claire told me phone companies have classes for old ladies, God I hope so. I can do classes they are no trouble at all.

Dr Jack, the dermatologist, was no trouble at all either, he was a blooming miracle. I had an 8:45 AM appointment and I was walking out the door by 9:00. My face was burnt all to heck with frost bite loveliness, but cancer free. And only one more appointment instead of seven. Miracle!

Another thing that doesn't trouble me is I don't yearn so much anymore. Refer back to the Dalai Lama quote. I don't yearn for travel. Places like Nova Scotia no longer calls my name, it feels like too much trouble. I don't yearn for adventure, perfect health. I don't yearn for romance. I'll take my love, fairy tale and otherwise, in the form of grandson, sons, family, friends. What a relief.

Friends are worth any trouble it takes with the blessing that they are no trouble at all. Growing older with friends is like Paul Simon says "Can you imagine us years from today? Sharing a park bench quietly. How terribly strange to be seventy." Being seventy is no trouble at all.

Being bombarded with art, love, creativity, and beauty crowds out negativity. "The world is full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."  Robert Louis Stevenson. Wondrous.

And that reminded me of another RLS poem -- "I have a little shadow." What fun dabbling is, everything from pizza parlors to the Dalai Lama, including iPhones -- I think.

We are all our very own "play station." That is what I call Connor's three activity shelves in my almost refinanced living room. And I do believe from the bottom of my heart in the art form of everything. Everything from baking bread to circumnavigating the Earth, or the Universe, or a your own back yard. Art has many forms and colors. Pruning a tree or navigating to Pluto, I can't do either one.

I am quite content with the story of my life. It has been trouble and no trouble in the appropriate degrees.

Have a trouble free day, no, on second thought have a wondrous day with or without trouble.