On getting older

On getting older
So today’s the day I celebrate the accumulated days of the previous year that all add up to make me a whole year older. There are some resonances with this idea and the image of the dung beetle above, but that’s not why I’ve posted this picture here.

The painting is by Japanese botanical artist, Chikabo Kumada, whose work is exquisite, and well worth blogging about on any day of the year. The reason I’m showing it to you on my 38th birthday is that in a Pingmag interview, Mr Kumada says the following: “I hit the renaissance of my life when I turned 70. That is when I really bloomed”. Mr Kumada is now 97 years old – that means he’s been blooming for 27 years!

Certainly, I’m something of a late bloomer myself (although not as late as Mr Kumada), and I hope that you’ll enjoy reading the Pingmag interview with him as much as I did. You might even find yourself feeling old in comparison with this exuberant man, who is exhibiting, travelling, working and laughing like… I was about to say, “like someone half his age”, but what I like is that part of his energy is the result of his 97 years of living!

Thanks to Masha for the link.