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Chapter 5. Ya Gotta Be Juicy!

To err is human, but it feels divine.—Mae West

Swans sing before they die—’twere no bad thing.
Did certain persons die before they sing?—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

How often do you take time out from your busy life for just plain fun? How often do you stop to smell freshly mown grass or throw your head back and laugh with delight? Most of us would answer “not often enough.”

Inner voices from childhood remind us to work hard, achieve, be good, don’t do this, don’t do that. Somewhere in my head I can still hear my mother saying, “Don’t be so unladylike! Would Mrs. Schultz do that?” Mrs. Schultz was our oh-so-proper next-door neighbor. I remember thinking that Mrs. Schultz didn’t seem to have much fun.

Life isn’t a dress rehearsal. This is it. You can’t go back and do it over. When it’s over, it’s gone—forever! So if you don’t live fully now, when will you?

The point is, Ya gotta be juicy! Ya gotta savor life, devour it, relish every minute, feast on every precious experience—with gusto! Enjoy all your senses—luxuriate in that gorgeous sunset, in the sweet smell of a spring morn, in all the sounds of life around you, in every touch, every smile, every loving voice. Laugh till it hurts—so what if you sound a little raucous? Why not lust after a scrumptious meal or a sensuous goblet of ruby red wine or someone you love? Why not feel ignited by love and beauty, music and dance, laughter and fun? Why not pack your life full of bodacious delights?

Of course, you need to use good sense with your juiciness. Be sure not to hurt yourself or others in your reveling. It’s healthy to be juicy, and it’s healthy to use wisdom to set your limits.

I wonder, if Mrs. Schultz had known how much fun being juicy is, would she have enjoyed life more?

You’ll know best how you want to put more fun—more juiciness—into your life. Go ahead, indulge—live life to the hilt!