BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE GOOD OLD DAYS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
By Simon Menkes
One of my all-time favorite works of art is Renoir’s 1880 painting, “Luncheon of the Boating Party”, which shows a colorful, quirky group of Parisian friends enjoying a Sunday afternoon meal on the water. For me, Boating Party always depicted the relaxed, good life with friends. Something that was possible at a slower time 140 years ago.
One Sunday afternoon a few summers back, I met up with my future wife and some of her pals at a local winery in Malibu, and we enjoyed wine-tasting on the back patio. I happened to glance over at another table and saw what looked like a staging of Renoir’s painting. I snapped the photo you see above of some 21st Century friends enjoying wine and conversation. The photo and the painting are amazingly similar.
Since that day, I’ve used this photo to remind myself that “the good old days” are still happening around me right now, just as they were 140 years ago. It’s up to me to find these moments, and when I do, to be fully present in them, enjoying the people, the food, the music – whatever is creating the beauty and feelings of joy for me.
Even with the pandemic burning all around us, threatening our health and limiting our possible activities, I believe it’s still possible to find moments of magic. It’s my choice to stay off my phone and out of the worries that can fly into my head at any moment and for no reason at all and stay fully present to wherever I am. Morning meditation practices have helped me build up my “staying in the now” muscle. Staying present is a practice, not perfection, I remind myself.
140 years after Renoir painted Boating Party, people like you and I are still making beautiful, memorable, moments. Joie de vivre and the art of living are not something that’s been lost in time. Whether we share a relaxing lunch with friends, or ride our mountain bike up and down dirt trails, or even find a quiet corner and read a juicy novel, doesn't matter. We just need to do what we’re doing in a fully-present state of mind, as much as possible.
The Good Old Days are happening all around us right now. It’s just up to us to recognize them and enjoy them.