Adam’s last day of school before finals

I spoke to Adam about reflections on the year. He said that he cannot believe that the year in India is actually coming to a close. On the other hand, he also can’t believe that all that he has experienced has been packed into a single year. I think that a key factor in making “time not fly” is to fill that time with lots of rich, diverse experiences. If you are spending your days with simple routines, you will remember just a few of those days and then look back and think “A whole year has passed ALREADY? I only remember a couple of key events…” But if you are doing the work of two people, you are also more likely to look back and say “All THAT was done in just one year? It seems like longer…” So, that’s my personal secret in creating the PERCEPTION, at least, of a longer life!

Adam was waxing a bit nostalgic. He likes the American Embassy School, and the friends that he has made, and at least SOME of the strangeness of living in a strange country. I reminded him of one of those “life anecdotes” that I share with my sister-in-law Malka, who also has 4 kids. We were at an indoor amusement park in New York, will all 8 of our kids; some of them under the age of 2 years old. ALL of them found their “niche” at this park, playing in one of those “pools” with plastic balls, going down slides, etc. Malka and I sat on the side of the “plastic ball” pool, watching the kids play. We were planning to leave shortly; Malka said this was such a pleasant setting, all the kids were having fun…we could stay all afternoon.

Within minutes…one of our kids threw up in the pool of balls (probably one of mine…), two of our kids started fighting, another kid started crying, and all hell broke loose; we couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Malka and I have coined the Hebrew phrase “ha daka ha critit” - - “the critical moment.” No one “rings a bell” at the high point of your experience, indicating that it’s all downhill from there….So you have a choice: Leave when you are at a “high point,” and regretting that you need to leave so soon, or leave after everything starts to disintegrate. I vote for leaving when you are still at a high point. We can all think of analogies like this in our lives…overstaying at a party, or a vacation, or a conversation with someone. Leave while you are all “still hungry” for more, and regretting that you need to leave so soon. I think that this is where Adam is now, and it’s a good place to be.