The Palisadian-Post presents an homage to Will Rogers’ column, “Will Rogers Says,” with a column by Palisadian Jimmy Dunne—on life in the “greatest town in America.”
On a walk with my dog Louis, I called a dear old friend from my hometown that I haven’t talked to in a while.
I asked him how things were going. I could hear a hesitation in his voice.
He said, “All things considered, things are wonderful.”
I told him I sensed he wasn’t telling me something.
After a pause, he admitted that he’s been in a hospital for 16 days, dealing with a form of blood cancer.
He’s hoping he’ll be released soon—and that the cancer will be in remission.
I didn’t know what to say.
Because we were talking over a phone line half-way across the country, it probably made it more comfortable for him to tell me what he was really thinking about.
He told me how grateful he was for the bounty of beautiful things in his life. For his amazing three kids, his wife, the greatest picnic basket of friends, an ever-evolving career he’s proud of—and an amazing life in a town full of happy and promise.
He talked about how lucky we are to live in a time where medicine is finding answers to so many problems.
I told him how inspiring and courageous his perspective was. And what a gift that must be to his kids and wife.
We ended up talking about the life of one of my favorite animals: the mayfly.
It’s somewhere between a butterfly and a fly—with an emerald body and wings. And multiple, flowing tails to weave and float through the sky.
Here’s the catch. A mayfly lives about eight hours. They don’t even have a mouth because they don’t need to feed themselves for a second day.
Yet, on a majestic spring morning, as the sun peaks over the river, they hatch from the waters and take to the air.
Their stunning tails propel and whirl them with the crisp late spring air on their backs over their river home.
And they dance. They dance in the sky. Along with many, many hundreds of their own. Can you imagine how thrilling, and romantic, and exciting it must be?
As they pirouette in the air, courtship begins—looking for that “special” one. The guys put on their best moves in the sky.
After the most spectacular day under the blanket of the sun and the tingle in the air, the new moms dip down to the water’s surface to drop their eggs—continuing the same, glorious cycle of life their mayfly ancestors began a remarkable 320,000,000 years before.
As the sun begins to fade away for the day, the tired, yet so-satisfied mayfly spread their exquisite wings flat on the comforting bed of the gently moving water’s surface.
She closes her eyes reminiscing her lovely day—and she’s welcomed back into the cycle of life in the rich river’s family.
I was asking my pal to just imagine, if we were able to ask one of those mayfly dancing and spinning in the breeze what they were thinking about—I’d bet they’d tell us that life is absolutely fantastic.
We both laughed. I could see his smile through that phone.
We had a moment where neither of us talked. It’s a silence that is only earned with relationships over time.
And in that silence, my heart broke picturing him in that bed in that hospital room.
It was beautiful.
And, in that moment, my friend and I danced—as the sweet mayfly do.
Remembering how remarkable and truly beautiful life is.
Jimmy Dunne is modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com.
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