About me
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Thank you,
Ivan M. Olarte
Hi, My name is Ivan Olarte, I will be 50 years old shortly, and am a student of classical guitar, cooking, and of healthy and happy living.
Aside from Classical music, I am very active in the Barefoot Running Community, and also very interested in Plant based nutrition.
I was born in Bogota, Colombia, and immigrated to the US at the age of 9.
Here I am, when I was about 14 years old and had returned back to Bogota for about 2 years. This is also when I first studied classical guitar for about a year. It’s one of my favorite pictures, which is why I use it as my avatar throughout the Internet.
Happy & Healthy at 50
This is me now almost 50, in the best shape ever, and having a blast living and loving life.
Happier and healthier than ever as I turn 50
Malcolm said
Hey,
You were a handsome kid. What happened? Just kidding. What’s happening at the Grid?
Nice web site. What is your secret?
Malcolm
Ivan Olarte said
Ah but you have not seen me recently, I’m slowly getting to be a handsome old guy, not unlike you!
I plan to post some before and after pictures once I loose another 10 pounds and buy some clothes that fit
The Grid is what it is… the grid. Nothing more nothing less.
My secret? Healthy eating, a Passion for life, and most of all I finally learned to enjoy the journey that I’m on. I truly enjoy and cherish each day that I’m alive and well.
It really is as simple as that. My dad tried to teach this to us for many years. But it’s only now, 12 years after his death that I have come to realize what he meant, and how really simple it is to lead happy and healthy life.
This is part of the reason why I have stared this website. To jot it all down before I loose my memory, and in hopes that I can motivate even just one person out there to follow their own path, and enjoy their journey instead of being so focused on goals that may or may not be achieved, and that when achieved will fade into the past.
Hope you stay in touch,
Ivan
Joseph McMahon said
Ivan,
It’s Joe. Good to see you are doing well. It’s nice to see you enjoying life. I am on a similar journey… Life is good… e-mail me if you can… good luck with your classical guitar studies. I remember when you used to play the guitar when we were young (70′s) LOL… You were talented then, but you didn’t stay with it. It doesn’t matter, you can’t stop natural talent… take care… Joe
Joseph McMahon said
Sorry to hear about your father…
Joe
rsvp001@verizon.net
Ivan Olarte said
Wow Joe, It’s still sinking in that you were kind enough to reach out to me after 20 years! And even better that like twin brothers we are both doing ok, and living parallel lives. Family men, good people, and trying to just be good and live a decent life.
It was wonderful catching up with you and like a long lost brother, It’s great that we will be in each others lives from here on. I cannot wait to see where we go from here. Now that we survived the turbulent years of our youth, I’m sure that it will only be good from here on.
It was wonderful to catch up on the phone earlier tonight.
Thank you for coming back into my life!
Ivan
Joseph McMahon said
It was great talking to you too. We have a lot of catching up to do…. Talk to you later…
Joe
Ann said
Hi Ivan,
I don’t know your email address but I wanted to let you know that Clear Heart sangha will be having a retreat at Blue Cliff the first weekend in October, Oct. 1-3, so you can mark your calendar if you are still interested. The flier with registration form will be sent out when Joanne returns from California.
Ann
Mark said
Hello Ivan,
I was following your links to the articles about “The Zen of Practicing”. That website no longer seems to be active. Is there any other way I could get to read them?
Thanks,
Mark
P.S. I’ve always been “after things”. Enjoying the journey seems to be a good idea …
Ivan Olarte said
Thanks for letting me know Mark. I have now verified that Mr. Starr’s site is no longer available and have re-posted the original essay here.
Thanks again
ivan