This Adventure We Call Life

"Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we will treat life as art."

Maya Angelou

We live in such an angry world today. War, destruction of our planet, criticism as a form of entertainment ,  and movies and TV programs that focus on horrific forms of death is all met with a sense of acceptance.    I am not a person who enjoys spending hours in front of the television anyway so  I see no point in being entertained by senseless violence, tragedy, and disappointments.  My goal is to keep my  life filled with activities and people that offer positive experiences.  Someone told me once that I shouldn't ignore the ugliness in this world.   I do keep myself abreast of what is happening around me but I refuse to dwell on the  negative.

" The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and contemplation rather than on mere survival."

Aristotle

Life can be a wonderful adventure and I try to counter the ugliness in this world with the beauty of the outdoors, art, music,  positive people, and  positive experiences.  I volunteer whenever an opportunity  arises to support a cause I care about.  Not only do I find it rewarding, but I enjoy being around people who are trying to make a difference.  Since I am fortunate enough to have more than I ever hoped for, giving my time is my small way of giving something back.  Writing a check is often the easiest way to give but time is more valuable because it cannot be replaced. What I find is that I  get back so much more from my meager efforts than  I contribute.

I love animals and children so this is where the focus of my efforts. is.  One of my regular volunteer events is with the zoo.  Since I started to volunteer, over a year ago, I have learned that the Phoenix Zoo's contribution extends beyond viewing animals. The zoo is involved in a cooperative effort of  research and preservation of  animals and plants from around the Globe. During my time at the zoo,  I have had the opportunity to  meet some incredible people and learn amazing things about the world we live in.

These last few weeks we have been planting near a new orangutan enclosure which isn't open to the public yet.  Yesterday, the horticulturist got my attention and pointed above me.  As I raised my head I saw a small orangutan clinging to the fencing as it watched me with curious eyes.  This enclosure will not open for a week but the keeper was nearby and she was able to enlighten us about the exhibit. The curious orangutan was one of the younger ones, not quite 5 years old, and he followed us around with curiosity in his eyes tilting his head this way and that. His actions were similar to a five year old child and the keeper commented that "he must be curious about the two legged animal."

"Different men seek happiness in different ways and by different means"

Aristotle

This type of work is not for everyone but it appeals to me. It is the type of work where I can get my hands dirty and no one is concerned if my shoes match my shirt. I absolutely love it.  During my time at the zoo I have made many friends. One of my favorites is Charlie, the 600lb tortoise with lots of personality, who follows me around to be petted and eat lettuce from my hand.  I met a giraffe who is curious and enjoys being in the company of humans but doesn't like to be touched. He does like  to be hand fed though and will use his lips and long tongue to gently take vegetables from my fingers. His temperament is unlike the angora sheep who lacks any shyness and reminds me of an adoring puppy who loves any kind of attention. This sheep especially enjoys having having his ears scratched.  If I am kneeling down, he will come over to put his head under my arm prodding me to pet him.  Recently, I discovered that a hawk will regurgitate it's stomach contents on you as a form of defense (thankfully I only observed this and didn't endure it), and I encountered a monkey who screeches to wake the other animals in the morning right after it's handler puts it back in it's enclosure. This clever little monkey has been getting out of it's enclosure at night to go wait by the front gate for it's handler.  The zoo personnel are baffled and  have been trying to discover how he escapes without success.  I enjoy learning about the nuances of the zoo society and with  each visit I learn something new about the world I live in.

"If you don't like something, change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

Maya Angelou

Most of the time I prefer the company of the animals to what I am exposed to in human society.  Within the animal culture, life is about survival and protection.  In almost every circumstance, an animal tends to deal with whatever issue it is faced with and then move on with it's life.  Although nature does have it's violent side, it doesn't start wars to solve to a dispute.  

Since shock value is what sells,  the type of information that saturates the media is usually negative and followed by the horrific details. I don't avoid what goes on in this world but  the facts, not the details, are what I review.  People are bombarded with negative news. Even the gossip magazines primarily sell information that has a focus on who is failing, breaking up, fighting, or doing something socially unacceptable.   Wars are started by angry people,  indifference and greed is destroying our planet, but I know that happiness is a choice.  I am well aware of the tragedy in the world  so I do what I can to help because every little bit makes a difference.  However, I won't spend my days grieving because we live in an imperfect world. Happiness is a choice.  I cannot remain idle waiting for happiness to find me so  I purposely incorporate events into my life that make me happy.  After all,  the only way to avoid staying in the same place is by trying to move forward.


I choose to be happy and I also choose action over observance. By looking for positive experiences, and opportunities to contribute to a better world,  I am constantly finding new areas of life to explore.  With each experience I am reminded that life is an adventure well worth living. What I receive from this life depends on what I am willing to put into it and it all  begins with my attitude. 

"We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence is not an act, but a habit."

Aristotle.