Always thinking ahead

I was having coffee with a friend the other day at a small neighborhood cafe' by Lake Nokomis (my new neighborhood) and two things occurred in such a small minute of time it got me thinking...ahead....to my life possibly in 20 years.

We sat table side outside and tootling down the street came a gentleman in his I would guess early 80's in an electric scooter that was more like a motorized electric wheelchair. Now I'm guessing he can barely walk without assistance, judging from his age and physical statue. He comes tootling down the street as if he were driving a car and smiling at us and just in general really happy and it appeared as if he were totally enjoying his life. Not a care in the world.

Now had this not been a quiet little neighborhood side street, he would have surely met his maker, but it was across the street from a school and in a relatively quiet and calm neighborhood. Not soon after he passed, a sporty little two door topless car came drifting by us. The driver's hair was blowing wild and free, completely untamed and she didn't seem to mind at all that her shoulder length do was wild and unkempt. She too was elderly, I would venture to say mid 60's. She also seemed to be quite happy and enjoying her life...which got me to thinking....where do I see myself at that age? I mean in a mere 20 years I will be 68 - will I have the love of life I saw on these people's faces? Will I have that unabated joy in a sunny day with the wind blowing my hair (no matter the color) all around?

Do we have to plan to be happy? Do we have to wait? Is the life and the stress and the choices we are choosing right now today what we do so that in 20 years we can be carefree and happy?

I wonder, what does it take for us to be "happy"?

Is it money? I know if I had more of it I'd be deliriously happy.....probably ALL the time. Is it love? I know if I were IN love, I'd probably be a person most people couldn't stand to be around. Is it fame? Ahh, we always think those things will make us HAPPY. Why do we choose to wait? Why do we put all these conditions on ourselves and our lives? Why not choose to be happy here and now? You ever meet one of those types....you know the ones that are always super positive and happy no matter what is happening. They always see the glass as half full and they always find the bright spot in everything that happens. Example - My husband left me. Her: Oh that's terrible, but I know there is someone amazing out there just waiting for you! Or I just got fired! Her: Oh dear. You know though, there is a job much more suited to you out there, you will find it! Those people...the Suzie Sunshine's of the world.....ugh.

But there is another type of person too....the one who acknowledges that things SUCK and it's NOT fair and it BLOWS or whatever analogy you want to use to describe the unfairness of life, but....and here's the key, BUT they help you realize that maybe things aren't as bad as you think or feel. Maybe things are just about to change and change for the better. Or maybe it's time to make different choices in your life so this doesn't happen again. And maybe, they are just the type of person to stand by you and hold your hand until things DO get better. Those are the people you want in your life. Not the Pollyanna Prue bread's who tweet out all this positive sunshine no matter the weather..

So.....it's time to find those people and choose that life and surround yourself with people that aid you in being a the best you now so when it comes your time to drive by some people sitting at a coffee shop discussing life, you get to smile with a small knowing smile that life does sometimes just settle into being happy and OK.