In the last month a few thoughts, statements, or dare I say
"theories", have been tossed my way leaving me to reexamine the time
that has passed. Obviously a new year is about to start and I am taking
the necessary typical precautions to hash out mistakes to improve upon because
we all know that is what we are "suppose" to do; however, something
feels different this year.
1) Sporadic choices.
This
year I came upon crossroads only to repeatedly bang my head against the sign
(about a million times) before I sprinted down the path I am currently
travelling. You see, life supplies a safety net and safety bars for you
to grab indicating you are in the right place at the right time and when all
safety features disappear you grab onto the nearest rock on the cliff, from
which you are dangling, and make the choice. Do I let go and jump to the
unknown below or do I play it safe and climb up to the top of the cliff?
(Giving that I know how to rock climb, which I do not at this time.) So me, have a bit of a rebellious personality,
let go. I let go of all security
measures, praying that at the bottom I would not die, that I was making the
right choice, or even that there was the inevitable “something more” waiting
for me at the end.
Let’s just say, I
will let you know when I get to the bottom considering my questions have yet to
contain any clear answers.
2) Be the change…
I am sure many of
you have heard the saying “Be the change you wish to see in the world” in
reference to a quote by Gandhi. This
quote has been stuck in my head for some time for a few different reasons. One, apparently the New York Times published
an article stating that Gandhi was misquoted, which makes me ask if any “quote”
is actually a quote at all considering how literature is rewritten and people
are misunderstood. (Anyone remember the ‘telephone game’ from grade school and
how one message got misconstrued?).
Two, I do not think
‘change’ is the word I would use. What
happened to inspiring someone? Like, “I
want you to do better. I want you to
take this idea and run with it. I want
you to grow from this experience. I
believe there is more to you no matter anyone else’s doubt.” I try to believe the best in people and have
felt that sometimes I might be a stepping-stone to greatness because I push and
I challenge people. You want someone to
be the devil’s advocate? That is right,
look at me, right here, BRING IT ON!!
For me, when I invest in a person or I tell that person I believe the
individual has more to offer, I would hope that person takes this as a great
compliment considering it is rare for me to put forth any effort in
something/someone. In time you realize
the things that need an investment, given the opportunity, and you realize when
you are just wasting your time by how much that individual is choosing to
invest in you. I question a couple
recent incidents and if I am wasting time, but my belief is always that ‘time
will tell’. I just wish I had a bit more
patience if not a preview into the future for delegating such time. :P
3) Life sucks.
I do not know about
any of you who just read those two words, but they provide me with a giggle and
a bit of acknowledging truth considering the person who recently made the
statement. I think this is out of
context as well. The proper way to look
at it is probably best stated in the 90s sitcom Boy Meets World, which is a realistic point of view of a title if
you think about how we live our lives, but the statement of truth is that ‘Life
is tough, get a helmet’ (Grier) .
There are two ways
to look at this statement. One,
personally I am a bit of a klutz who falls walking, so I might need the helmet
along with knee pads, elbows pads, and while you are at it…just wrap me up in
bubble wrap. Actually, delete that last
part because I would then fall on purpose to pop the bubble wrap, but you get
my dementedly twisted ideal train of thought.
Two, yes life is tough unless you have purpose. I have made my own purpose. I am not living for myself anymore, but for
others. I wake up in the morning and try
to find something that I have not done or tried, partially because it makes for
a great story when I do something completely awkward. Whether or not this can be accomplished or
not is a different story, but then I like to find something new to experience
in the people around me. Life is an
adventure to which we offered only so much, that if we choose to let
opportunity pass, we lose out.
So what do you do
when…
…a person’s grocery
bag breaks and the contents are spread all over the floor?
…when a man cannot
get his scooter through the snow because someone did not scoop it in accordance
with city regulations?
…when an elderly
person engages in conversation with you, of what you view as nonsense, because
the person is lonely and sometimes we all just need to talk?
…when a person needs
acknowledgment because the individual feels invisible to the rest of the
crowded world?
…when you are given
a choice and do not take a risk?
So where does all this leave me?
Exhausted! One of these days I
will, again, be able to just let go and trust that in my new environment I will
be caught because it takes a lot to hold everything together. I will hopefully, once again, find that one
puzzle piece I have been missing instead of just going through the motions
because I feel that is what I am to do.
With big risks, they say, come big rewards (not to be a pessimist, but
so come big losses), so onward I proceed finding adventure in the nooks and
crannies that are commonly overlooked in the first place.
Grier, Emily. Everything I needed to know in life I
learned from ‘Boy Meets World’. 19 July 2011. Web. 21 December 2015.
MORTON, BRIAN. Falser Words Were Never Spoken.
29 August 2011. Web. 21 December 2015.
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