One of the lessons I have learned as I have gotten older is, when an opportunity for adventure presents itself, grab it. Letting it slip away causes regret later.
The adventure does not need to be over the top or dangerous. Adventure, to me, is something that is out of my normal comfort zone, something that is fun and different and maybe a bit scary. Not alligator wrestling scary, or sky-diving scary or getting on the scale at the doctor’s office scary.
I mean an adventure; something that you rarely have a chance to do. One of my favorite quotes really says it all: Don’t die wondering. And folks, let’s face it. Time does not wait.
So keeping that in mind, I have gone out on a limb more frequently lately. I talked my husband into parasailing in the Bahamas last year. Was I afraid? Yes. Did I have second thoughts before we went up? Um, yeah (especially when I heard the cost). Was I terrified while we were up there? For about 10 seconds. Did I regret doing it? No. Not for even a minute. I wanted to rent a jet ski, but I realized that the parasailing was enough adventure for us for one trip.
Something as silly and simple as getting on a very small swing at Georgie’s is an adventure. The kids did it with ease but I am a pleasantly plump and older woman who leans towards clumsy and is not nearly as flexible as I was years ago. Did those facts stop me? No. Did I swing? Yes. Did I fall off? Yep. Hard? Yes. Did I regret it? No, but my hindquarters did.
At a concert at XFinity Live last summer, I rode a mechanical bull. In a crowded bar full of people a lot younger than me, I rode that bull. Granted, the bull operator had the thing on “Slo-Mo Old Lady Speed,” but still, I did it.
I incited the crowd to cheer for me. I saw people filming me with their cell phones (probably to post on Facebook with the caption: Check out THIS ridiculous old broad). I fell off that bull, in a slow motion backwards dive-like move. Hard. Did I regret it? No way. It was a blast. (Again, the hindquarters did not thank me the next day).
My son Donnie got one of those hoverboards. You know, the ones that seem to be catching fire or exploding all the time. He brought it over on Thanksgiving and I wanted so badly to ride it. So Donnie held onto me and I put one foot on it. One foot. The thing started moving and I screamed and got off. I’m not a total idiot, as it turns out.
Recently I saw an ad on Facebook for auditions for Family Feud to be held in Philly. I spoke to my sons and husband about applying to audition and they all said, “Oh, yeah, we saw that. Pretty cool.”
So I took that as a yes, and in my new adventurous state of mind, I applied. Then I forgot about it in the excitement and rowdiness of our Christmas holidays. Imagine my shock when I got an email inviting us to audition! By the time you read this article, we will have auditioned for the show! Even if we don’t get picked to be on the actual show, the audition itself is another grand adventure! (I promise I’ll do a column about it, unless we make total utter fools of ourselves.)
Some days it’s an adventure just getting out of bed and facing whatever the day plans to dish up for you. It’s an adventure driving to work and dealing with people who quite literally do not know how to operate a motor vehicle. Around here, it’s frequently an adventure eating meals that I have prepared. It’s an adventure going through your normal daily routine at times. But sometimes the routine can be the adventure.
This quote by Joseph Campbell sums it up: The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.
I urge you to say yes. Loudly.
Ilene Black has been a resident of Ewing for most of her life and lives across the street from her childhood home. She and her husband, George, have two sons, Georgie, 32, and Donnie, 28.
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