Never is too late.. Niciodata nu-i prea tarziu

RO: Niciodata nu-i prea tarziu

Prima zi de facultate, profesorul ni s-a prezentat si ne-a dat drept sarcina sa facem cunostinta cu cineva necunoscut. M-am ridicat sa ma uit in jur si atunci o mana fragila imi atinse umarul.

Cand m-am intors, am vazut o batranica marunta, cu chipul brazdat de riduri, care ma privea cu un zambet ce ii lumina intreaga fiinta.

Spuse:

- Buna, frumosule. Ma numesc Rose. Am 86 de ani. Pot sa te imbratisez?

Am izbucnit in ras si, dupa acceptul meu, ma stranse in brate cu putere.

- Ce cauti la universitate la varsta asta frageda si inocenta? am intrebat.

- Vreau sa gasesc un barbat bogat, sa ma casatoresc, sa ma stabilesc la casa mea, sa fac niste copii, raspunse ea zambind.

- Hai sa lasam gluma, am reluat.

Eram foarte curios sa aflu ce o motivase sa abordeze acest gen de provocare  la varsta ei.

- Dintotdeauna mi-am dorit sa merg la universitate si acuma mi se indeplineste visul, imi spuse.

Dupa curs ne-am dus la bufetul studentesc si am baut un milkshake de ciocolata. Ne-am imprietenit pe loc.

Timp de trei luni, zilnic, dupa ore, plecam impreuna si stateam de vorba necontenit. Eram de-a dreptul fascinat sa ii ascult acestei "masinarii a timpului" confesiunile atat de bogate in intelepciune si experienta. 

De-a lungul anului, Rose a devenit " mascota " campusului si se imprietenea cu usurinta cu toata lumea, oriunde s-ar fi dus. Ii placea sa se puna la patru ace si sa se lafaie in atentia pe care i-o acorda toata lumea in jur. Si se bucura de fiecare clipa.

La sfarsitul semestrului am invitat-o pe Rose sa tina un discurs la banchetul fotbalistilor.

Imi vor ramane mereu in minte invataturile  ei.

A fost prezentata si a pornit spre tribuna.

Cand a inceput discursul ei pregatit de acasa, scapa trei dintre cele cinci cartonase pe care isi notase ce voia sa spuna. Deranjata si stanjenita, se apleca spre microfon si spuse pur si simplu: 

- Imi pare rau ca sunt atat de neindemantica. Am renuntat la bere in favoarea whiskey-ului si marca asta, Lent, ma baga in mormant. N-am sa reusesc sa mai pun in ordine cartonasele astea, asa ca am sa va spun ceea ce stiu. 

Noi am ras si ea tusi ca sa-si dreaga glasul.

Continua:

- Nu incetam sa ne jucam pentru ca imbatranim. Imbatranim pentru ca incetam sa ne jucam.

Exista numai patru secrete pentru a te mentine tanar, a fi fericit si a deveni un om de succes. 

Trebuie sa razi si sa gusti umorul  fiecarei zile. 

Trebuie sa ai un vis. Atunci cand ramai fara vise, mori. Suntem inconjurati de oameni morti si nici nu ne dam seama.

E o mare diferenta intre a imbatrani si a evolua. Daca ai 19 ani si stai in pat inert timp de un an, fara sa faci un lucru productiv, vei implini 20 de ani. Daca am 87 de ani si zac in pat timp de un an fara sa fac nimic voi implini 88. Toata lumea imbatraneste. Nu e nevoie de talent sau pricepere. Ideea e sa evoluezi, identificand mereu oportunitatile care se ascund in inima schimbarii.

Nu regreta nimic. Cei care sunt deja batrani nu regreta ceea ce au facut. Numai cei care au regrete se tem de moarte.

Si-a incheiat discursul cantand cu avant "Trandafirul".

Ne-a incurajat sa ii  studiem versurile si sa le punem in practica in viata cotidiana.

Rose si-a luat diploma pe care o dorise atatia ani.

La o saptamana dupa absolvire, Rose s-a stins pe tacute in somn.

Peste 2000 de studenti au fost alaturi de cea care le-a demonstrat ca nu e niciodata prea tarziu sa fii ceea ce vrei sa fii.

SI NU UITATI:

NU POTI ALEGE SA IMBATRANESTI SAU NU; DAR POTI ALEGE SA EVOLUEZI!

  

Sa-ti pastrezi simtul umorului la orice varsta pare sa fie reteta perfecta uneori.

EN: Never is too late

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.
Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked. She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."
No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.
I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success.
You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."
She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.