I remember my father telling me during one of our talks that when he was a little boy, before heading off to school, he would take his shoes off and walk in the grass on a golf course while the dew was still fresh on the ground. He loved the feeling of the wet grass on his bare feet. As a child, he loved nature, and that passion continued into his adult life. During another conversation we shared, he told me he wanted to buy a farm and be a gentleman farmer. However, my mother would have none of that. Therefore, my father’s dream was always just that, a dream. I always feel a sadness creep over me when I think about the fact that he did not live out his dream, but he did live to see his daughter take after him. I think those who intertwine nature and hoopla are fortunate women after 50.

A Nature Lover’s Lifestyle

Nature lovers are in touch with their spirit, their soul and their inner, ethereal, otherworldly self. Their lifestyle is very much affected by nature. For instance, they may be racing to an appointment and stop to notice new buds on a tree or new flowers sprouting up out of the ground. They don’t hesitate to slow down and allow a calm, peacefulness to engulf them.

So when unexpected or annoying hoopla rains down on them, they tend to recover faster than others who are more rigid because they don’t see everyday situations simply as black or white. Rather, they have the capacity to let their mind bend, like a tree. They are flexible and adaptable, and once a crisis has passed, they allow themselves to feel gratitude.

My Own Experience with Nature and Hoopla

Such was my case in a grocery store parking lot the day of the Academy Awards. I drove to the market, in what I felt was plenty of time to shop, put the groceries away, fed Orchid, showered and dressed for an Oscars party. We were due at 4:30pm.

But prior to that, upon finishing up at the market, I got to my car and had trouble opening the trunk. Instead of getting upset, I put the bags of groceries into the back seat of my car, which was no easy task because I have a two-seater sports car. I then got into my car and put the key into the ignition but could not turn my key. This was not unusual, however, because it had happened before, so I knew the wheel was locked and if I simply turned it, the wheel would unlock. This had happened a few months ago, and I phoned, who else, but my ultimate concierge, who talked me through the process. It immediately worked, and I drove home.

This time I could not unlock the steering wheel. I noticed a young couple getting out of their car and asked them to help me. It was very hot outside, and I was wearing a black sweater, so I was beginning to overheat. The young man got into my car, and he could not unlock the steering wheel either. He then went on Google to see what to do, but nothing worked! I thanked him, and then proceeded to call my ultimate concierge.

“Shelly, I cannot start the car. It is the same problem I had a few months ago. Also, I noticed I cannot pop the trunk. Please come and help me. I need you.”

“What market did you go to? Okay, I will be right there. Just stay calm.”

“I will stay calm. Drive safe. Don’t rush. Just a little unexpected hoopla.”

“He started to laugh, and then he said, “Why do these things always happen to you? I guess because you can handle them.”

“Drive safely. Love you,” I replied.

I sat in the car waiting when all of a sudden I heard a voice. It just happened to be my girlfriend, Gail, who said, “Why are you sitting in my car? How did you get in here?”

I almost fell out of her car. “What do you mean, your car? This is my car!”

“Your car is four cars down! I noticed it when I drove into the parking lot,” Gail replied.

“Oh my goodness, no wonder I could not start the car. It is your car. I cannot believe the automobile company would let my key fit into your ignition!” I exclaimed.

“I have to call Shelly. He is on the way to help me unlock the steering wheel in a car that is not really my car,” I said to Gail. We couldn’t help but start laughing.

Darlings, Gail and I have the exact same car model, color, and hubcaps, as well as Illinois plates.

But Shelly had already left, so when he arrived, he helped me take all of my groceries out of Gail’s car and loaded them into my car. He was 100% understanding and just shook his head. “Only you could this happen to,” he said again and began to laugh. I laughed, too.

Driving home, I thought to myself, there is so much hoopla in my life. I must pay more attention. I never thought to look at my license plate to make sure it was my car.

And then I thought to myself, “What if I had been sitting in a stranger’s car, with my key in his or her ignition?”

Embrace the Hoopla

Darlings, we have to laugh at the absurd. We all have hoopla in our lives. Thank God or life would be so boring. But we should stop and smell the roses when the hoopla gets us crazed.

If you look around you and appreciate nature, you may just feel your body and mind relax, and then you won’t help but feel grateful. And remember, a grateful woman is a happy woman at any age, but especially after 50.

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