My Lifelong Childhood

"For the rest of it, the last and greatest art is to limit and isolate oneself."                        Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) During this Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are"hunkered down" in our homes, trying to keep active, both physically and mentally.  The term, "hunker down" first emerged in the Scots language in the 18th century.  It originally referred to squatting down on the balls of one's feet, keeping low to the ground but still ready to move, if necessary.  From a situation like this, creativity and innovation is often born.  Human beings are resilient and I'd like to think we'll bounce back from this as unscathed as possible. I just wrote about this virus only a few blogs ago when everyone's attention was centered on a single cruise ship docked in Yokohama harbor.  Now it has reached our communities and even our neighborhoods.  The media is highlighting all...

"The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,   Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!"                        ( "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare 1564-1616) With each passing day, we all age!  There is no getting around it. Sure, many of us go to the gym and work out, some wear clothing that makes us appear younger, and some go on-line to find magic tonics and over-the-counter "medications" to make sure our memories remain intact.  I must admit, I, too, participate in some of the same schemes...searching for "the impossible dream", that Fountain of Youth, the idea of which has been around since the 5th century, BCE.  In 1513, even Ponce de Leon, the first Governor of Puerto Rico traveled to Florida to search for it.  Now it's 2020, and people are still going to Florida for pretty much the same reason! The myth of Ponce de Leon searching for the Fountain of Youth I, too, exercise ...