Live life

My TV time consists mainly of watching HGTV or a show that has an elimination at the end of it.  Reality TV works for me because I don't have to think.  It unravels in front of me, I don't have to figure out a plot or follow multiple characters or understand anything.  Mindless TV watching is how I describe it.  

I have been a super fan of Amazing Race since it started years ago.  I have traveled the world several times through this show.  I always look forward to the Canadian version which recently aired.  Sadly, the end of Amazing Race Canada has arrived.  I had decided Catherine and Craig, the team from Winnipeg was going to be my team to hope for.  They are dancers, singers and best friends.  Their friendship is undeniably a friendship that we all want. In 2013, Catherine was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given the prognosis of two to six years.  Catherine says, "I have passed my expiry date". They wanted to do the race because Catherine had limited time and they saw it as a chance to inspire others and showcase as much of Catherine's story as they could.  Craig felt it would be a chance to show what support for a friend going through a terrible diagnosis is and often looks like. 

Both Catherine and Craig are in their late forties.  Extremely fit of course because of being dancers, which is always a bonus on Amazing Race.  But they had many other attributes that never came out in the show.  Craig was also an author, tv personality he also has a photographic memory.  Catherine was a mathematician and a former nursing student.  This speaks to the wisdom and life knowledge that comes with age.  During taping they tested positive for covid and had to leave the show along with 2 other teams.  I was devastated but elated when a twist to the show allowed them to return.  The rest is history, they were the winners.  

Each week as I watched I rooted for Catherine and Craig.  I liked how they were as people, they never got down on themselves, they were kind to the other contestants and overall had such respect for each other.  She was living her dream as she jumped from a helicopter and other amazing things the show allowed her to do.  I think you understand how much they impacted me.   

My heroes Catherine and Craig

It was their words at the finish line that has brought me to writing about them. Jon asked them what they wanted to share with Canada.  Craig said, "reconnect with loved ones, stay close and do what we have done and see Canada."  Catherine said "live your life, do what you want to do, do what you need to do and do what you have to do.  Always believe in yourself". 

For some reason I find the statement "Live your life" complicated.  I have come to realize living life is a very individual experience. The people in my life are very mixed as to how they live their life.  Some are very active with travel, physical activity and generally on the go all of the time.  They never put their suitcase away best describes them.  Others take on a calm life.  They become creative, do puzzles, read books.  Basically, an unstructured way of living.  Some connect with the earth and love to garden and have flowerbeds, they actually read seed books.  Others work late into their retirement and enjoy living their life like that. As is everything in life, different for everyone. 

Don't you feel like you have pushed your life reset button following Covid. Initially, being isolated I looked at it as a time to do projects, get things done that I thought needed to be done and an opportunity to "refresh".  Then it went into okay this is enough.  I have purged everything twice, get it together Canada so we can move forward.  Then finally, I arrived at; my life is being wasted.  It seemed everyone had reached that point.  People talked about their former life or at the very least the life they wanted and couldn't plan. As time went on, we became complacent and perhaps even a bit anti-social.  It has taken some time, but I am slowly seeing people get their stride back.  Not sure if the life they have returned to is how they saw themselves living but they are moving forward.     

My list is very short when it comes to "Do what you want to do'. I do get joy in helping others.  I like to donate and help people in need.  I had decided in my retirement I would volunteer somewhere.  That has not gone as smoothly as I had hoped.  I will show some interest in volunteering by contacting them, when I don't hear back, I make sense of it by saying not meant to be, search for something else.  Growing up and living in a small community it was an expectation to be a volunteer.  I guess, things are different where I live now.  Because the volunteer position hasn't presented itself, I have decided to continue to do random acts of kindness.  I identify those acts as a form of unstructured volunteering.  

When people asked me what I was going to do in retirement I said, "my retirement plan consisted of three things: start a blog, join senior CrossFit and get a Tattoo".  I feel a massive sense of accomplishment getting this blog published.  Now, on to CrossFit.  I have realized a couple of things.  Just because I say I am going to join CrossFit and people are impressed that I say I am going to join, really doesn't give me the benefits that I would actually get if I joined and went.  Secondly, being as sedentary as I have been recently, going into a demanding exercise program might need some preparation time. But I can't take away the fact I want to do it.  I also want to be part of a dragon boat team.  I am not making a long list of what I want to do because clearly the pace at which I am getting the current ones done requires nothing more.   

Do what you need to do is pretty self-explanatory. Going into winter I have to decide what is going to make the winter worthy.  Prairie winters can be long and grueling.  I have decided that making puzzles, playing solitaire and knitting will not fill my cup up of what I need to do.  People go on trips to hot spots to get away from winter for a month or more.  I have entertained that idea, but I now rethink everything when it comes to travel.  I learned a long time ago, when you don't know what to do, do nothing.  I guess I will just let it unfold and something will present itself or not.  

We all remember when we were raising kids and life at that time definitely falls into the category of "have to do".  They needed to be fed, attend activities and be educated.  Once I hit retirement what I have to do is interesting.  I don't have to do anything.  Some days I am extremely high achiever at doing just that.  I do feel I have to use my mind.  I have to continue to create a retirement life.  Embrace new opportunities and have fun.  

For some reason I had a bit of a "blogger's block" writing this.  This morning I decided I would send it out with the hopes that it spoke to you.  Maybe a hidden message for the new week.  Catherine has inspired me, and she is a reminder to all of us to Live Life.