by Raymond Alexander Kukkee

Created on: April 30, 2008   Last Updated: August 01, 2008

The Wooden Puzzle

The aging man in the mirror seems somewhat like the "Man in the Yellow Hat" that our favourite contemporary analyst "Curious George" deals with every day in his own inexplicably curious way. The mirror man is undoubtedly an invention of the mind, for what else could he be? Perhaps he is a missing part of a highly coloured wooden puzzle that ultimately must be swallowed, acknowledged, retrieved, assembled and accepted as part of life. Only Curious George would know for sure, so I shall rely upon his advice.

In spite of mirrors and other objects that might tell lies to me, I have no intention of getting older, regardless of the fact that precious time does progress, observably speeding past me quickly, every moment, every second, of every day. The man I feel like is perhaps 28, never old, but placed somehow in the strange, aching prediction of occupying the time and space continuum for much longer. Time keeps passing without reasonable explanation or a fleeting accounting of itself even though I am always incredibly busy, at times even discovered doing useful, productive things.
Evidence of my existence may, some day, be found with searching, if one is foolish enough to wish to challenge that endeavor, yet it seems somehow that leaving a polished, dated rock, a hand-made toy, or a story, a fearsome, grand memory for the masses of the future should not be the prime directive of aging.

Limitations of purpose are fragments of imagination that may be dropped, handily ignored, and left to molder, dangling in the tangled, cobwebbed psyche of some future person, but not mine.
In aging, supposedly the spirit is willing but the body does not wish to cooperate in all aspirations, but that, too, applies not to me, for I continue to tackle difficulties with vigor, ease and intent. Step on the gas, or let me pass. I have places to go.

I think that if I gave up now, which is way too soon, I , too, would be given a Yellow Hat and be forced to look out through the mirror to see Curious George studying and watching me, scratching his head in wonderment and disappointment, asking "Why did you give up so easily?" and "Why did you QUIT?"

I therefore refuse to pretend that time has anything to do with what I must do with the personal expression of life. Physical beauty may fade, leaves may fall, bones may creak, and the world may indeed end.
I, however, am not giving up now. I have far too much to do, problems of civilization resolve, and will do so with the power of faith and curiosity.

Time is on my side. Curious George said so. I laughed.
Curious George likes optimism. He even handed me my own puzzle.

Learn more about this author, Raymond Alexander Kukkee.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.