My recent emphasis on the importance to know what one is doing has led to a conversation on the value of being. Don’t grit your teeth and expect to engage a Socratic dialogue, though. This word on being is brought to you by a woman who says that the outer person is important to the inner person. She also gives you ladies over 35 a link to a makeover essay contest. Cheer up, men. Get to work.

Here’s Sue:

I’m often challenging Don about his observations and opinions. I’m his sister and we seldom see things the same way–it’s been that way since we were kids. Usually it is no big deal and we reach a middle ground. This time, I just had to write about it.

Don is the kind of guy who pretends that he really doesn’t care about how people take him. He has a bushy beard and wears overalls. Enough said. I think he’s kidding himself, though. Everyone cares about the outside…and the outside is related to the inside.

My own situation is this: I’ll be 39 years old soon, just one birthday away from the dreaded 40. My body is not shot, but it is not like my high school pictures either. I don’t deny age, but I want to look my best. There is nothing wrong with that. Don frets about what he does. I fret about how I look. Same difference. Same destination.

I was telling him about a Makeover contest that I had entered and he as well as told me it was ridiculous to worry about such things. That’s when the firefight started. I want to be healthier and I want to look healthier. Every step I take to do something about it is a victory to me. Don feels the same way about his fascination with finding his “purpose,” why is my desire to better my “person” any different? It’s not.

I’m not saying that being is better than doing. I’m saying that it is part of the same thing. Don just doesn’t get it, does he? Poor guy.

The makeover contest is being put on by Artefill. Women over 35 years of age simply need to write a 500 words or less essay about their changing life to be entered for a chance to win a $10,000 makeover. It’s that simple. Here is a link to the Contest Entry Form.

The writing was easy for me. I just told it like it is. My 40th birthday is coming up like a bad oyster and I’m in reflection mode. It’s time to do something other than fret. I won’t give up the ship without a fight.