More or Less, we all use these words and I think very seldom evaluate them.
But sometimes I do. Ponder on words, taste them.
More or Less as a phrase 'They are more or less the same'.
Or a question 'More or Less?'
Or a statement (the other way round) 'Less is More'.
Or with synonyms such as 'almost, pretty much, just about'.
No doubt you can add a few more.
Although I haven't arrived yet in the last quarter of my life (I plan to grow 100 years), I noticed that More or Less is very much suitable to growing older.
For example: when you grow older and develope more body fat, it is less easier to loose weight.
The more time you have to read (being part time pensioned) the less possibile it is without glasses.
I can not compete anymore with my own body (shape wise) and energy of 40 years ago, though I concider myself still very fit and young at heart. Let's be honest, heart and soul don't grow older, just the body.
And I have less wrinkles than some of my cousins who are less curved than I am.
Still lately I noticed I need more and more cream to maintain less wrinkles and to update the moisture content of my skin.
We have an expression in Holland to compliment someone who gained many years since you last saw him or her but still looks unwrinkled: 'You dried up nicely!'
I always thought that getting older means less obligations but it seems it does not turn out this way.
For a lot of things you need more time to accomplish them.
Puting cream on my face (or whole body by now) takes more time as I need to do this thoroughly to achieve more result. Using less cream is out of the question.
I pedicure my own feet but it takes more time to do so. To keep it nice I announced the Sundays to be my 'I spoil myself Day' which includes a proper pedi- and manicure.
Do I need more well known creams (avertised at the best of the best) and therefore spend more money? No, less famous creams are also adding more to your skin. You just need to spend a little more time to find them.
And then food........ I need to eat less food than in my younger years. The same amount of food means gaining weight, let alone more food.
I do need more excercise to gain less weight.
And I wonder if this is why you you need a retirement in later life. To necessarily and unavoidable spend more time on things that took less time in your younger days or which were far more less of interest to you.
I enjoy being around people I love, like and value for e.g. a proper evaluation of the world, a good laugh or peronal talks but noticed I become less tolerante to large groups now I live more years on my own.
Said that, I have always loved more to be with just a few valuable people than amongst a crowd (called introversion). These people give me more energy where groups or noisy places, drain my energy.
I therefor thrive much more with less.
During the Summer lots of tourists from all over the world are visiting our tiny but ever so lovely village.
Walking my dog I often end up in conversations that add more stories to my day.
The less expected, the more beautiful these stories are.
I live in a beautiful area: The Wadden Sea (world heritage)
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| Photo: Ike Roelfsema |
Sea, clouds, birds, endless horizons, just the sound of nature. I do not need more to enjoy my life more. Less 'noise' means much more to me.
Particularly in Winter when nature is quiet or when storms blow daily life miles away and icy temperatures tickle my skin and energy.
Well, this post was less lengthly than previous ones because 'what more can I say'..... ;-)
My dear readers, please grow older with more values, spending less time on trivial things.
Hugs,
Helen
