"Pizzaonia Emerging" courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute. Abe Straction, curator
The following comments were made by Brother Pio on "facing retirement"......
As I grow older, and now by any standard, I am considered elderly, things change. For one, no matter how much you think you are aware of time; it is nothing compared to how you see and feel time when you know there are much fewer years ahead of you than behind.
The trick here is to make the years ahead more important than the years already lived. It is easy to live in the past when you are older. For one, that is where your accomplishments live. This is a trap you want to avoid. However, no matter how much you feel the need to cling to the past, think ahead – see a future, never give in to the notion that the best is behind you. No matter how little time is ahead, there are things to look forward to. This is life, and you must always live with hope and optimism that there is future.
And that brings me to the present. We talk of the past and the future, and they are important. However, the past and future cannot exist without the present. This moment is the most important in your life because you are living it now and now is the only reality you have.
I know we hear variations of this many times, but how many of us really get it. For many, this amazing truth does not make sense until the end. For them, the last moments of consciousness have to be hell. They realize the truth when there is no longer any time to do anything about it. That has to be the definition of despair.
But what about the rest of us? For us, there is still time and with time, there is hope. So look around, see and feel the wonders of life around you. I don’t care where you find yourself, go inside your mind and live. When you do this, the road ahead becomes clear, and you know with all of your senses and spirituality you are alive.
And think, for better or worse, this was inspired simply because I love a cat name Gatsby.
Brother Pio
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