My niece-in-law (I believe that is not really a thing) had a family gathering to celebrate her graduating from university - and she got very good grades. They had the small party at the parents' summer place, which is not a true cottage, but a converted farm building that sits by the lake on their farm property. It is a very pretty area out in the countryside and the style is very much a cosy country feel. I always take photos there, but this time there were so many people around, I won't post any as I only have permission for my wife and daughter.
These are lilacs from their garden and for those who know, fresh lilacs smell great. We have a couple trees outside our front door and when they are in bloom, the scent wafts in on the breeze and fills the house. Having fresh flowers around, definitely brings a nice feel to a home. And ones out of the garden are even better, because they are free.
Our peonies are not too far away.
There were more people than usual, because know that my "niece-in-law" is married, there was also his side of the family there as well, with his parents and a couple brothers in attendance. However, even with a crowd, I barely said a word, since I didn't want to force anyone into speaking English. I can't keep up with the conversations at that speed in Finnish, so I just sat there quietly, eating cake.
Perhaps if I wasn't in Finland, this would be more uncomfortable. But Finns are pretty comfortable with being socially awkward, so they just assume that I am quiet and reserved. Boring. I am probably boring, but I am not really quiet and reserved in English, because I like to engage in all kinds of conversations and with a wide range of people. But, I guess it is also okay just to take a backseat and observe life go by.
With cake.
But I don't know how people do this all the time, because it is pretty dull and there is no space to get any thoughts out, or any thoughts back. Observing life is fine, but engaging with life is far more interesting. Too many of us have seemingly checked-out of direct living, and are instead spending time passively observing life, or just skipping life altogether, and passively consuming some other form of content. I wonder if we will ever look up from the screens long enough to recognise how much of life we have missed.
Probably not.
As I get older, I am more aware of life slipping away, which I think is a good thing at a personal level, as it helps focus more on what is important. However, I also feel that a lot of people around me aren't paying that much attention to it and are perhaps more distracted by the observation of what is going on, rather than engaging with what is perhaps more important. The hierarchy of importance is of course individual, but that doesn't mean people are making good choices - even if it is their choice.
What do I know about importance...
My whole life has been about getting that hierarchy wrong, so perhaps everyone else has it right and I should just follow them and do what they do. But then, is that a rewarding life for me? I don't think so. But I have been wrong about a lot of things I have thought in the past, and have done a lot of things that once upon a time, I thought I would never do.
Such is life.
At least I can talk here.
Taraz
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