shining eyes

My basic job is to go around campus and help my clients when their computers are broken. Sometimes, while I'm fixing their computers I get a chance to chat with them about the kind of work they do. One client is a Professor Emeritus (ie retired) but hangs around giving lectures, consulting, writing stuff. He's a fascinating gentleman who's done extensive travel, and quite well known in his field. Funny part is that he got to where he was mostly because of money. He went to school because there was money, he went to grad school in Canada cuz they gave him money, he went to work at the National Institutes of Health cuz they were going to pay him. Frankly, he says, he did absolutely no kind of forward planning whatsoever, he just went where the money was.

Nowadays he travels. We chat about any number of things. Recently, he was telling me how he had gone to see the Gates and approached it as a cynic thinking what a waste of money, but coming out of it simply raptured. I like him, he tells good stories.

He's the same guy that goes to France every summer for a month to try to learn the language but never does. This third time around, he's given up learning the language. He's just going to go and write.

Anyway, today he talked about the different countries he's gone to: Scandanavia, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy. He talked about how people in Finland naturally sit very close to each other, not saying a word despite there being room in the room. Their level of "comfort zone" is quite small compared to ours. And how the Swedes don't drink alot because it's expensive, but how when they do get drunk, particularly during the summer they're completely wasted.

Then he goes, do you know the secret to life? Do you want to hear it? [He studies health and well being and longevity rates] Well, of course! Why not? He says, "the secret to life is 'Shining Eyes'."

[the next part is basically him talking] The Swiss, the Germans, excellent timekeepers, lots of rules, everyone very fastidious about keeping to the rules, nothing's broken, but they haven't added a whole lot to the art of the world, bad architecture. You go to Italy and you meet the beekeeper. He has 30 different honeys that all taste different. And when you ask him, he says well you have to only let the bees make honey from one pollen source. Just Sycamore trees. Just Apple trees. And then he's telling you and his eyes get big. You go to the olive maker. He said the secret to making olive oil is to pick them before they hit the ground. When they hit the ground, they bruise, it's no good. He talks about picking the olives and his eyes grow big. Then you go to the ricotta maker and she talks about how to milk the goat and her eyes are huge. That's shining eyes! There's so much passion and care for this one thing and how things are done. Which is why they argue a lot because everything matters! But they have rules, but no one follows them, and people are never on time. Yet they've contributed a great deal to the art of the world: architecture, sculpture, automobiles.

Now the French, are like this too. Streets are cleaned 3 times a day. A store will have one pair of shoes in the window with a light on them, same thing with the flower store. Food is arranged in a certain way. And the French and Italians are some of the healthiest peopole in the world! Well, except for the French men who have an issue with alcohol and sirhosis of the liver, but the French women are on par with the Japanese women as far as longevity. There you have it Shining Eyes.

Of course, this is all a theory based on his observations. But I must say, I wouldn't mind testing it out. In his words, I hear him and I think about "the craft" whatever it is one is doing: writing, olive oil, honey, kali, dance. "The Craft" the thing you get excited over, that you talk about for hours that sends into you a enlivening spirit. Touching that energy is just addicting, you just want to touch it again over and over. And maybe your body reacts to it, builds your body in a way to keep going longer just to give you the chance to have "Shining Eyes" one more time.