Nonessential? Marginalia shows that you can find inspiration just about anywhere.

Do you write in the margins of books? Have you borrowed a book from a friend and curiously read any thoughts they penned in the margins? Have you written notes or underlined passages in religious texts like the Bible, Torah or the Quran?

I remember being at a conference listening to a speaker, and I had placed my Bible on the floor underneath my chair. The lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder and seriously reprimanded me because I was not treating my Bible with proper respect. I thought to myself; she certainly wouldn’t approve of all the notes and questions I had jotted in the margins. And of course, an occasional scribble added by my kids during church.

I’m a big fan of jotting notes in books, and now I’ve learned that it is called marginalia. Merriam-Webster dictionary says marginalia (mär-jə-ˈnā-lē-ə) is a plural noun that means notes or embellishments placed in the margins of a book or nonessential items. I was introduced to this word and concept by Maria Popova by reading her weekly online column by the same name.

Believe me; there is nothing marginal or nonessential about her writing.

My marginalia comes from moments of inspiration and also instances of curiosity or questions. I might be reading along, and something just jumps out at me, and in an effort to retain it, I’ll put exclamation marks or notes to remind me of a particular thought. I read with a pen in hand.

It occurs to me that the essence of life is that feeling of being inspired or curious. Perhaps marginalia are more than notes in a book, but all the things that grab our attention and make us pause. It is the embellishment of our lives.

I would argue with Webster that it is not nonessential at all. It is what makes us feel alive. Even if just for a second, something penetrates your mind and triggers an "aha" moment. Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

So, what does that have to do with aging? It occurs to me that the older we get, if we’re not intentional, we may go through our daily routines and miss the opportunity to be inspired. If we are going through life and there is nothing that moves us, or nothing makes us curious, we’re just going through the motions.

Children and young people always experience inspiration and curiosity, and we may grow out of it if we’re not paying attention.

Life can become quite routine as we age. What are you doing that inspires you — that makes you feel alive and creative? Our goal is to live until we die. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.”

Let’s get out into the margins and be inspired.

Find Connie’s book, “Daily Cures: Wisdom for Healthy Aging,” at www.justnowoldenough.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Marginalia shows that you can find inspiration just about anywhere