A good friend of mine sent me one of those lovely Power Point presentations this week. The message, conveyed with breathtakingly beautiful photography, was a simple one. It was a message of seasons, each one separate and distinct, each one flowing into the next, each one to be seen as part of a whole and not in and of itself. The message stressed the importance of not isolating one single season. By itself one season can be a disappointment, so seasons must be looked at in their context to the others, the sum of all the parts if you will. The whole.
I made what I thought was a witty comment remarking that, "If you think about it...the seasons also "season" us." How true that statement is, they do season us. How very seasoned are those who have lived through and experienced many trials and triumphs over the course of their lives. I know I am seasoned, certainly.
We all go through difficult times. We face difficult situations, encounter difficult people. Thus making me think about another set of seasons entirely. Seasons we taste. We taste both the bitter and sweet of each season, the bitter and sweet life has to offer. We savor and relish the sweet times, the pleasant and idyllic ones. The bitter, pungent, hurtful ones are quite another matter. We hasten to cleanse our palate of such bitter taste, look to wash the remnants from our consciousness lest it linger and become a heavy aftertaste. We look for something sweet and light to take its place. Something soothing and gratifying to replace the sourness. We don't forget what was unappetizing and distasteful as it become part of us. We do focus on the pleasant, the savory and enjoyable tastes of life we find, but never do we forget the others less appreciated.
That's the season, the seasoning best remembered. The sum of all tastes, the delightful and sweetly satisfying ones along with the salty ones. While all our lives are a contrast of taste, a palate of balance and diversity, in the scheme of things it is the combined taste of all the seasons and all the tastes that I want. I want it all, not just one morsel, one mouthful. I want all the varied tastes of my life combined to make the whole picture.
My friend had a comment worth remembering I think. It was, "Our experiences should make us better and not bitter".
Better to have tasted all of life, tasted all the tastes, and not found it just bitter. Found it better.
Better indeed.
I made what I thought was a witty comment remarking that, "If you think about it...the seasons also "season" us." How true that statement is, they do season us. How very seasoned are those who have lived through and experienced many trials and triumphs over the course of their lives. I know I am seasoned, certainly.
We all go through difficult times. We face difficult situations, encounter difficult people. Thus making me think about another set of seasons entirely. Seasons we taste. We taste both the bitter and sweet of each season, the bitter and sweet life has to offer. We savor and relish the sweet times, the pleasant and idyllic ones. The bitter, pungent, hurtful ones are quite another matter. We hasten to cleanse our palate of such bitter taste, look to wash the remnants from our consciousness lest it linger and become a heavy aftertaste. We look for something sweet and light to take its place. Something soothing and gratifying to replace the sourness. We don't forget what was unappetizing and distasteful as it become part of us. We do focus on the pleasant, the savory and enjoyable tastes of life we find, but never do we forget the others less appreciated.
That's the season, the seasoning best remembered. The sum of all tastes, the delightful and sweetly satisfying ones along with the salty ones. While all our lives are a contrast of taste, a palate of balance and diversity, in the scheme of things it is the combined taste of all the seasons and all the tastes that I want. I want it all, not just one morsel, one mouthful. I want all the varied tastes of my life combined to make the whole picture.
My friend had a comment worth remembering I think. It was, "Our experiences should make us better and not bitter".
Better to have tasted all of life, tasted all the tastes, and not found it just bitter. Found it better.
Better indeed.
1 comment:
Hmm, you only mention bitter and sweet, but what about the others?
Bitterness
Saltiness
Sourness
Sweetness
Umami
I wonder how saltiness translates into an emotion?
Indeed from the descriptions I've read I still can't place Umami in my diet of Asian foods, so placing it in my emotions is even harder.
I see they have also may have found taste receptors for Fattiness, and in mice Calcium.
So back to the topic. Yes, drink life to the lees and move on, if it doesn't kill you it only makes you stronger. Of course, I don't think I'll go shooting up heroine and catching STD's just to say I've lived life, that's just silly. But if misfortune comes my way, I should try to take the learning experience and use it to the advantage of me and those around me.
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