la fuente de juventud
I think I've managed to stumble across the key to eternal youth. Since I've been here working and living in Costa Rica, time and time again I've found myself struck by how "young" everyone seems. Initially I was surprised to discover the researchers and ticos with whom I've been drinking beers at Machaca and shooting the shit in the afternoons were in their late 20s early 30s. at the youngest. some with wives and children. some just with the children. I had just assumed that they were in their mid 20s. And I have been wondering, what it is about everyone that makes them seem young to me? Not that age really matters, but there seems to be some underlying difference in the majority of the people here that I cant quite place. Is it just that everyone LOOKS younger? not necessarily. Are they more light-hearted? Carefree? Am I just really bad at guessing people's ages? What IS it?
Back home in the beloved EEUU there's this overwhelming weight of responsibility that descends when you hit your mid-20s. Hell, I was feeling it before I left to come here and i still have a good many years of footloose traveling with no repsonsibility! So many people seem to be caught up in their individual little worlds. Too busy to take the time and enjoy what really matters--friends, family, getting outside. People are too busy stressing over inconsequential details. In the long run, is it really going to matter? At what point did everyone have to start scheduling in time for friends, like just another thing on the 'to-do' list?
'Life is what happens to you when you're too busy making other plans.'
Many people back at home are busy finding jobs, applying to graduate schools, applying to medical schools. Working for that EVENTUAL success and happiness. With the greatest achievement of making themselves worried, stressed and generally unhappy.
Its not that there is a lack of responsibility here. Try raising a child as a single mother. Or no larger goals to work for (all my researcher buddies are working on PhDs). The responsibility is still there, but it isnt looming. People have TIME to spend with each other. They arent 'fitting' anyone into a schedule. I am in a place where people are CURRENTLY happy. They are doing what it is that they love or enjoy. No one is working for the eventual, distant-future happiness and success. They HAVE it. My assistant is just about the most outgoing, positive person I have ever met. I have yet to see him anything less than ecstatic to be out in the forest EVERY morning. He has no desire to become further involved in the 'research' portion than he already is. He is easily THE expert of Costa Rican monocots, but does not want anything to do with any of our publications. He has all he wants to be happy-- working in the place he loves. This seems to be the underlying factor. I've always believed that you have to choose to work doing something you enjoy (even if it is at the cost of other things), but haven't been quite so good at following it. I like to spend countless hours worrying about things that i have absolutely no control over. And in costa rica, the land of subtle seduction, this just isnt done.
Llast night I had one of my most fun nights here. Not out partying, but in the researchers lounge playing guitar and singing with a bunch of the 'older' researchers. The Clarks, a married couple that are huge tropical researchers and have lived at la selva for the past 20 years, have music nite once a week. And people show up with whistles, harmonicas, guitars, bangos, and a few cold beers to relax and let their inner 20yr olds out for 3 hours of music. I've never seen such an animated crowd of people that should have been dead exhausted from the work they did that week, but were only barely winding down at midnight. It was refreshing getting showed up by a crowd of mostly 50+ year olds. The second key to eternal youth appears to be music (but I always had a hunch about that one).
Maybe its being outside, enjoying life. Just doing something physical. Our bodies weren't designed be trapped at a desk INSIDE (shudder) 24-7. The most relaxed I've been since I've gotten here was after a week of days spent hiking through the forest and planting my species in the shadehouse. And aside from little bouts of worrying about the "future" i've recently found myself much happier than I have been in a long while.
so i'm going to learn a little lesson here in Costa Rica, and hopefully continue to apply it when i return to the states in the fall...
Back home in the beloved EEUU there's this overwhelming weight of responsibility that descends when you hit your mid-20s. Hell, I was feeling it before I left to come here and i still have a good many years of footloose traveling with no repsonsibility! So many people seem to be caught up in their individual little worlds. Too busy to take the time and enjoy what really matters--friends, family, getting outside. People are too busy stressing over inconsequential details. In the long run, is it really going to matter? At what point did everyone have to start scheduling in time for friends, like just another thing on the 'to-do' list?
'Life is what happens to you when you're too busy making other plans.'
Many people back at home are busy finding jobs, applying to graduate schools, applying to medical schools. Working for that EVENTUAL success and happiness. With the greatest achievement of making themselves worried, stressed and generally unhappy.
Its not that there is a lack of responsibility here. Try raising a child as a single mother. Or no larger goals to work for (all my researcher buddies are working on PhDs). The responsibility is still there, but it isnt looming. People have TIME to spend with each other. They arent 'fitting' anyone into a schedule. I am in a place where people are CURRENTLY happy. They are doing what it is that they love or enjoy. No one is working for the eventual, distant-future happiness and success. They HAVE it. My assistant is just about the most outgoing, positive person I have ever met. I have yet to see him anything less than ecstatic to be out in the forest EVERY morning. He has no desire to become further involved in the 'research' portion than he already is. He is easily THE expert of Costa Rican monocots, but does not want anything to do with any of our publications. He has all he wants to be happy-- working in the place he loves. This seems to be the underlying factor. I've always believed that you have to choose to work doing something you enjoy (even if it is at the cost of other things), but haven't been quite so good at following it. I like to spend countless hours worrying about things that i have absolutely no control over. And in costa rica, the land of subtle seduction, this just isnt done.
Llast night I had one of my most fun nights here. Not out partying, but in the researchers lounge playing guitar and singing with a bunch of the 'older' researchers. The Clarks, a married couple that are huge tropical researchers and have lived at la selva for the past 20 years, have music nite once a week. And people show up with whistles, harmonicas, guitars, bangos, and a few cold beers to relax and let their inner 20yr olds out for 3 hours of music. I've never seen such an animated crowd of people that should have been dead exhausted from the work they did that week, but were only barely winding down at midnight. It was refreshing getting showed up by a crowd of mostly 50+ year olds. The second key to eternal youth appears to be music (but I always had a hunch about that one).
Maybe its being outside, enjoying life. Just doing something physical. Our bodies weren't designed be trapped at a desk INSIDE (shudder) 24-7. The most relaxed I've been since I've gotten here was after a week of days spent hiking through the forest and planting my species in the shadehouse. And aside from little bouts of worrying about the "future" i've recently found myself much happier than I have been in a long while.
so i'm going to learn a little lesson here in Costa Rica, and hopefully continue to apply it when i return to the states in the fall...
posted by erin at 7:30 PM
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