Nor from which I could escape

Marching along as a middle-aged man in the sexagenarian decade of my life, every day is different and isn’t that wonderful?  Some days are better than others but realistically, every day is not a bowl of cherries. 

Sure, I can fake it that every day is great while flaunting a big cheesy smile but at the end of the day, I’m stuck with myself and if my deck of cards deals me a spade for the day, rather than a heart, that’s the way it is and I must accept my hand while playing my poker game of life.

That’s not to say, however, that despite a “bad day”, whatever that means to you and me, that there still isn’t something good to be had from it.  It’s just that I must search a little harder to find its diamond in the rough because it’s buried deep in a pile of misery and wretchedness. 

What gets me through days like this are to count my blessings because they still exist; to be grateful for all that I have, humble and acknowledge that it could all be taken away from me in a heartbeat.  The biblical story of Job is a good read when I’m having a day that feels like Job living in Uz when his life suddenly turned upside down.

Best to double down my efforts to avoid, or at least minimize, the time spent in a state of being described by St. Augustine in his classic The Confessions of St. Augustine where he shares:

“I was weighed down by a grievous load of wretchedness . . . I still remained to myself an unhappy place where I could neither be, nor from which I could escape.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Always welcome are the great works of St. Augustine

Pierini Fitness fired Facebook over five years ago and shared the news with his sports fans here:  I fired Facebook.

Now Facebook has been doing lots of firing and its latest victim is a peace-loving quote by St. Augustine of Hippo, a 5^th century Catholic theologian, philosopher who’s also titled Doctor of the Church.

Apparently, the powers to be at Facebook have proclaimed that a quote of St. Augustine is “hate speech” and doesn’t belong on the Facebook website.  This “hate speech” quote is as follows:

“Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be praised only when we continue to beg for pardon. But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticize, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.”

What a great message; it’s hard to see the “hate” in it.  It’s the dear Saint’s own version of the biblical verse – Matthew 7:3 – “"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Think about it for a moment and then ask yourself, as Pierini Fitness has asked himself, how often do we point the finger at someone else while failing to realize when doing so there are more fingers pointing back at us?

In the politically-polarized world in which we now live, dominated by a vast and boundless social media cyberspace, it’s easier than ever to shout out the most snarky malarkey possible, anonymously and safely in the comfort of our padlocked and secure homes and receive kudos from others who are doing the same.

What is the same?

That which St. Augustine writes about that Facebook has labeled hate speech: “But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others.”

Pierini Fitness has written about St. Augustine and his great works a time or two and finds the dear Saint’s teachings and writings align with his middle-aged man reflections about living and dying, gracefully-aging and trying to live a good and honest life.

Therefore, here at Pierini Fitness, always welcome are the great works of St.  Augustine.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

A great riddle to myself

Pierini Fitness is enjoying this time of year and this should be his case for the remainder of the year.  He has time to breathe and immerse himself in the pleasantries of daily living, not burdened or toiled by the demands of an overwhelming work schedule. That time has come and gone; thanks be to God.

There's time to be and not do, reflect and not decide, and smell the roses of life at its finest rather than the stench of a rat race behaving like a dozen pit bulls circling endlessly chasing their tails.

While the thrill of riding the giant roller coaster of work can be exhilarating when its commotion is in motion, there comes a time when the sereneness of being still, like a calm lake on a hot summer afternoon mirroring an image of the sun above, seems  more desired of the two.

These reflective “Kodak moments” are wonderful opportunities for Pierini Fitness getting to know himself better.  Blogging about whatever happens to be on my mind, middle-aged man reflections about living and dying, gracefully-aging and trying to live a good and honest life, is another venue of self-discovery.  

I wonder, though, after 64 years of self-discovery, is there anything else more to know about myself?  Or, is my self-discovery never-ending, like climbing a mountain taking one-half step at a time, only to discover that this half-step cadence means I’ll never arrive at my destination?

Is the more I know the less I know myself?  Is this also true for all middle-aged men around the world?  Is it possible, in our lifetimes, we’ll ever know who we are, our authentic and true selves?  

Are we destined to be, at best, a giant masquerade, wrapped in a veneer of external trappings – profession and possessions believed to be our joys and toys – wearing a costume with mask of a fictional character we’ve chosen when going about doing our doings in the world we live?  

Time will tell when the truth is eventually revealed which may not happen until the end of our lives on planet earth.  Until then, maybe we should chant, as St. Augustine wrote in his classic The Confessions of St. Augustine, “Thus I became a great riddle to myself.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum