Wise or Just Old?

As he put me through my paces–three sets of three exercises designed to tuck my tummy, straighten my shoulders, and transform my thighs into thunder–my trainer casually mentioned how much he enjoys talking with me because I’m such a seasoned client. “What do you mean, seasoned?” I asked as a vision of me as an overstuffed, trussed, crispy skinned turkey covered in sage, rosemary, thyme and butter exploded in my mind. I frowned.

 “I didn’t want to say old,” said this perfectly sculpted young fellow. “But you bring a certain wisdom to everything we talk about.” How do I stay mad at that? I didn’t.

Now in my 70s decade, it’s easy for me to say, “Been there and done that” when someone relates a thorny situation they’ve encountered. But what does seasoned mean? Merriam-Webster defines the verb seasoned as something that “gives more flavor or zest by adding savory ingredients… a distinctive quality… and makes fit by experience.” For me, this means I shouldn’t tell someone about my similar experiences. Rather, I should keep it simple, providing only insights to help someone approach their situation from a different perspective. Based on the definition, wisdom is adding bits of information to inform (aka flavor) one’s options. That’s usually all it takes to bring clarity to a problem. 

There’s one rule to obey when dispensing wisdom… don’t ever, ever tell anyone what to do. Just listen and reflect. If you catch yourself saying, “Well, in my day…” just bang your head against the wall and go sit in your rocker!