If You’re Forced To Stop And Wait, Use It As A Chance To Cogitate: Launes, Spiders, And Integrating The ‘Real World’ With The Internet As An Older Athlete

The train I was waiting for. I like trains, but not as much as Dagny Taggart does.

“In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don’t try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.”

From: Tao te Ching by Lao-tzu, translated by S. Mitchell.

Hi folks! Welcome!

The odd bumper sticker does resonate with me. Too many overwhelm, which is why we are forced to choose our battles.

Whilst waiting for a train at a crossing the other day, I realized that there were a number of things, which I consider deleterious to our mother planet, Earth, that were fortunately absent from my visual field, including (1) tall buildings containing people (also often tall, with good hair) who purport to ‘run the world,’ but are completely out of touch with the Biosphere, except for a business-related game of golf, (2) mutual funds, (3) television, and (4) lawns. These thoughts just popped into my head, and now they are popping out again, here. Read on if you so desire – I’m having fun, anyway, stopping for a coffee/blog session on my way to another race, OBX Half Ironman, and excited about it.

If you want to get back to nature, go to a place like this (it’s in tiny writing).

There are a number of reasons that I object to lawns, apart from not enjoying the sport of cutting grass (an American obsession, I’ve noticed), the prime one being that they are essentially a floran (correct adjective for the noun, flora?) monoculture, providing little or no opportunity for biodiversity, cover for raising young, or the development of healthy food chains. Furthermore, they sure jack up the Japanese beetle population, which descends upon adjacent vegetable gardens like a horde of locusts. I also associate lawns with aristocracy (who were also absent from my field of view as I admired the train, fortunately).

“Lawns may have originated as grassed enclosures within early medieval settlements used for communal grazing of livestock, as distinct from fields reserved for agriculture. The word “laune” is first attested in 1540, and is likely related to Celtic Brythonic word lan/llan/laun, which has the meaning of enclosure, often in relation to a place of worship. Lawns became popular with the aristocracy in northern Europe from the Middle Ages onward.” From Wikipedia, whom I support financially, but never link due to Malware problems in the past.

Wonder who they are, and what are their hopes and dreams? Same as mine, I bet, the search for happiness. From Google Analytics for athletewithstent.com.

In fact, I came to the USA in part to escape the influence of aristocracy, and a great country it has been, warts and all, as far as I’m concerned. It has treated me well, but I had to work at it. No free ride! Then I retired from my 40-year long day job, deciding to start my own business online. In three years I have learned many important lessons, and my respect for people who build successful businesses has grown exponentially – it’s not easy.

My new business, Old Dogs in Training LLC, which is being constructed to help people move as efficiently and enjoyably as possible into late old age, or following severe health challenges, is coming along nicely, and finally, after 3 years of constant effort, generating some revenue. Not enough to quit my day job – oops, did that already!

Tarantula in Zion National Park, Utah. Funny thing, I’m scared of little wolf spiders, but not this guy. I even stroked his hind leg – left the front ones alone, though. Beautiful in his (her?) own way, like all creatures of the Biosphere. Photo by FitOldDog.

The real problem with online work is it’s endless nature. You work at it each day, make small gains from time to time, meet some great e-people, and little by little earn some trust. I guess it’s not really different to real life, by which I mean life where you can actually look people in the eye, and get a more direct impression of what they are all about.

I think that the major advantage of my new career is the fact that is keeps me in touch with people of all ages, races, countries and beliefs. Surely, the Internet is getting people to understand that we are all just people – same hopes and dreams, feelings and aspirations.

I feel (and think) that if I can help people across the world to get back on with their lives in spite of health challenges, including the big one, aging, my business will grow when it is ready.

It sure is a treat, however, when someone explains how I inspired or guided them in a good direction. Just like real life! They are real people whether I can see them or not.

OK! Enough cogitating. Time to go pick up my race packet!

-k @FitOldDog