Page 4 - Boca ViewPointe- July '24

Page 4, Viewpointe July 2024
Finally Accepting The Help Of Others

By Robert W. Goldfarb As I aged, I had become quick to decline an offered seat on my age after years of insisting it was just a number that had
a bus or subway. Flight attendants attempting to put my luggage nothing to do with me. It occurred to me that people on the
A recent incident on a school bus changed the way I respond into the overhead, were greeted with “Thank you, but I can lift bus were very much like those who offered me their seats on
to comments about my age. I had entered a three-mile race it.” Cashiers about to place my groceries into a cart were told, other busses. Both understood something I did not; that in a
and was being driven with other runners from a middle-school “No, I’ll do it.” When informed there was an elevator nearby, splintered world people want to reach out to strangers.
parking lot to the starting line. A runner leafing through a list of I always said I was looking for the stairs. I was convinced that I reached out on one bus, but had stood apart on others.
those competing suddenly exclaimed, “Wow, there’s a 94-year- accepting these offers would hasten my slump into a walker. Was that why people on this bus brought me close while those
old guy in this race!” In the past, I would have remained silent, Had I maintained my usual silence on the bus, there would on others reacted to my rejection as though I had offended
hoping no one would wonder if I were the old guy. have been no exchange of aspirations and concerns. We would them? I had to think differently about how I responded to the
I was familiar with the reaction of younger people who have been thinking about our performance, not about those who generosity of strangers.
encounter the elderly in unexpected places. Meant as praise, would be running with us. A solitary effort was becoming a I told my children and grandchildren about what happened
their comments feel more like sympathy: “You’re 94 and shared journey. Exiting the bus, we began hugging each other, on the bus. A granddaughter said “PopPop accepting help isn’t
still running! I hope I can walk when I’m your age.” I don’t something usually done at the finish line, rarely at the start. suddenly going to make you dependent on others. You’re just
know why, but instead of my typical silence, I found myself The fireman thrust his callused hand into mine and said “Let’s letting someone feel good because they helped you. Why not
turning and saying I’m the 94-year-old. make sure we gather our team at the finish line.” give people that opportunity?”
The responses to my admission were not what I expected. Three miles later, we began looking for each other. Young I plan to enter other races as I press deeper into my
No one commented on my age. Instead of reassurances runners had been waiting for thirty minutes, others like nineties, but will not let that stop me from accepting the
that made me feel even older, runners began calling out the me had just crossed the finish line. There was no boasting offered seat. I think I’ve finally learned we’re all on the same
personal stories that brought them onto the bus. The big of running times, just embraces and congratulations. We journey and will eventually want company along the way.
yellow van echoed with the voices of a new mother running exchanged phone numbers, suggested other races we could
for the first time in a year, a fireman hoping a recent injury run together, insisted we enter this race again next year and Bob’s articles have appeared in The New York Times,
wouldn’t slow him, a couple who arranged family vacations board the bus together. The San Francisco Chronicle and in Next Avenue, the
around races, ten-year-old twins running their first race. I’ve run dozens of races from three-miles to marathons and publication of the Public Broadcasting Service. His book,
Instead of setting me apart, my age had inspired strangers to never before experienced the bonding that took place on that “What’s Stopping Me From Getting Ahead?” was published
tell who they were under their running attire. bus. I wondered if it was because I had finally acknowledged by McGraw Hill and is in five languages. 
Boca Raton Public Library Presents The Art Exhibit,

“Anima Mundi” By Marina Veen July 1, 2024 To August 9, 2024

The Boca Raton Public Library presents a new art
exhibit, “Anima Mundi,” by Marina Veen. Ms. Veen, a
Ukrainian-American abstract artist, masterfully blends
the rich tapestry of her cultural heritage into a vibrant
expression of contemporary art. Born in Odessa, Ukraine,
she combines the vibrant energy of New York, the artistic
spirit of California’s Bay Area and the vivid yet rugged
Pacific Northwest nature of Seattle. The realization came
during the pandemic – she needed to make a shift from a
two-decade career in enterprise technology towards her
true calling, creative practice and art making. Ms. Veen’s
first group show was in September 2023 at the Macy
Gallery at Columbia University in New York City.
In Ms. Veen’s world, art is not just a form, but an
action – a verb that encapsulates the essence of being.
Her art transcends mere expression; it’s a meditative
journey through life’s tapestry, an exploration of love, a
commitment to generosity, and a daily reaffirmation of
hope and deliberate living. Her art practice is a sacred
space, a sanctuary for introspection and powerful, “Anima Mundi,” a free exhibit, will run from July 1, 2024 The Boca Raton Public Library provides outstanding
challenging dialogues with the self. Deeply interested to August 9, 2024, in the lobby gallery at the Downtown library services, resources, and programs that meet the
in Art History, her artistic expression spans various Library location of the Boca Raton Public Library, 400 NW educational, recreational, cultural, and informational needs
mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking, 2nd Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33432. of the Boca Raton community. 
and collage. Ms. Veen states, “The canvas is a poignant
metaphor for life itself.”

Please Be Courteous,
Pedestrians
have the right
of way!

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