A series of...setbacks have recently hindered my progress in life somewhat. I can't afford to let it stop me, of course. And that statement alone is all it takes to drive me forward. Usually. [Readers don't get a back story. What readers will receive is one person's analysis of the interior power of an individual.]
Repeat: I can't afford to let it stop me, of course.
Is it that easy? Well, yes. You run into a wall that extends infinitely in either direction and you are left with two choices at the core of the problem: scale the wall, or lay down at its base and cease forward travel. In more general terms: when life gets you down, you either stay down or you get back up.
Now the hollers from the more astute members of the class. "If it were THAT easy, everyone would be doing it!" or "Nothing can be that simple when put into real practice..." or "Might work for you, but what about me?" or whatever other complaints they have. And those complaints are all valid.
Nothing is ever THAT easy, eh?
My original point stands though: despite the variables, the choices are either to get back up or to lay down (or go back the way you came, I suppose). The decision you make is up to you.
First of all, if you're reading this, you're a wall-climber. I try not to associate with people who fear the walls for the simple reason that I don't want it to rub off on me. But I digress.
ADDRESSING the problem and its possible solutions is easy. Choosing is a bit harder, for it's easy to ignore the wall and go about your business. Let's try always to avoid that choice, shall we? If only for the usual reasons that we only live once, that we have goals and dreams and hopes and loves, that we only have so many hours in a day, and that we can't afford to let things stand in the way of our potential.
If you're still reading and not grumbling angrily (I hear something about how the veil of ignorance was threatened) then we have much to discuss. Wall-climbers, rejoice!
I said earlier it was easy to choose. Caveat: it's hard, hard, hard to do. As your classmates grumbled earlier, if it was easy then it would be done. And I should point out right now (better late than never) that I'm not going to talk about what you do to overcome your wall. This isn't a self-help blog. Go meditate, visualize, throw money at it, pray, scream, cut throats, break laws, make babies, see counselors, see doctors, or have midlife crises at your heart's content.
No, I'm talking about that wellspring of...something that erupts within a person and gives them the motivation, energy, and endurance to scale walls. That's what I've been rolling around in this mind of mine for days now.
I hope you've all felt it, or will in the near future. The wellspring is this force, when an insurmountable issue stands in your way and all seems hopeless for so long. Suddenly something provokes a burning push deep within your self. This fiery wave surges through your body, mind, and soul; it reignites your passions and your will to move forward.
Take a moment. Do you know what I'm talking about? Have you felt it before? Where does it come from? Is it bottomless? How do we draw upon it in times of need? Does everyone have one? Is it a desirable tool to use?
Personally, mine never triggers when I think I need it to. I can never make it trigger without help. And it always happens in a burst (wake the fuck up) and then a few weeks of warm burning before it cools off. It always needs a person to trigger it forcefully, coupled with sensory pushes (certain songs or smells at certain times, emotional surges via movies or the news). And it never does what I think it will. I mean, it NEVER does what I think it will. Maybe it's better to say it never does what I think I need it to do.
Long post short, I've decided to call this the wellspring. One of my (many) passive goals is to try to understand this, put words to a wholly irrational and emotional process that (I hope!) everyone experiences at one point or another.
I don't think I'll ever truly figure it out. And I hope I don't. Figuring it out would grant it rules and logic and, I think, totally ruin it for me. I just want to have fun poking at it, and hopefully I can get more wall-climbers recruited along the way.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Voices of the People: Intro
I think it important to note that I am a long-time purveyor of the public transportation system. At first it was a matter of necessity, and it later became a matter of preference. To me, there's something comforting about starting your morning with a stress-free commute to work and ending the day with the sort of mindless reflection that comes to a person when they're in transit and not worrying about the drive.
But beyond that daily time of personal reflection, there is another honorable and priceless benefit to the usage of public transportation: the public. Public transportation gives the astute traveler the opportunity to mingle with a diverse variety of the common folk, those everyday Joes. And I absolutely loved it.
Side rant. Of course it may be easier to drive yourself to and from your busy life. Windows down, radio blaring, maybe a cell phone to your ear. Surrounded by people just like you and never having to look them in the eye. Certainly symbolic of our society today. Tune in the radio and tune out the world; we have our own problems and don't have time to care about the others.
This simply isn't the case for the average PT traveler. I mean, sure, you can plug into your iPod for the duration and be left alone. But if so, you're missing out on so much. Think about it. Humans are inherently social animals, yet every major invention we use on a daily basis makes it a point to isolate you. We are hermits adrift in a sea of hermits; forever surrounded yet always alone.
Is this seriously how we want to live?
I used to spend about 20 minutes on the bus every morning and about 45 every evening (I lived on an admittedly inefficient route). That's a full hour per day of golden time. Time to meditate and to learn. This is the time you are thrust in a small area with people you would never, ever be with otherwise. And if you're smart enough to grab the bull by the horns, this is the greatest hour of your day.
Businesspeople concerned about the environment or energy prices; single mothers hurrying to work; retired men going to meet their ilk at the coffee shop; the homeless that are simply looking for some air conditioning on a hot July afternoon; college students; high school dropouts; salaried managers; minimum wage junkies; your best friend; your worst enemy...and all crammed together in a moving room on a daily basis.
I've met grandmothers working because they couldn't afford not to, and they've changed my world views on life and death. I've met teenage lesbian couples hiding on the bus because they're not accepted elsewhere, and they've taught me that the world is still intolerant and unaccepting. I've met black single mothers that took the bus because they chose Christmas for their kids over a used car, and they've taught me that the love of a family can conquer all.
And I like to think that maybe, just maybe, the young white male that smiled and listened to their stories helped lift their burdens, helped make the world a better place for them.
From the first week that I used the PT system, I always wanted to share the insights and stories I picked up along the way. Hopefully I can do that here. My "Voices of the People" posts will be just that. I plan to recollect the experiences of the last few years and share the inevitable new ones that come along.
It's a big world with a lot of people all struggling just to be. We should all yearn to learn from one another. Take the bus, even if you have nowhere to go. Learn to smile and listen and share yourself.
You'll learn something.
But beyond that daily time of personal reflection, there is another honorable and priceless benefit to the usage of public transportation: the public. Public transportation gives the astute traveler the opportunity to mingle with a diverse variety of the common folk, those everyday Joes. And I absolutely loved it.
Side rant. Of course it may be easier to drive yourself to and from your busy life. Windows down, radio blaring, maybe a cell phone to your ear. Surrounded by people just like you and never having to look them in the eye. Certainly symbolic of our society today. Tune in the radio and tune out the world; we have our own problems and don't have time to care about the others.
This simply isn't the case for the average PT traveler. I mean, sure, you can plug into your iPod for the duration and be left alone. But if so, you're missing out on so much. Think about it. Humans are inherently social animals, yet every major invention we use on a daily basis makes it a point to isolate you. We are hermits adrift in a sea of hermits; forever surrounded yet always alone.
Is this seriously how we want to live?
I used to spend about 20 minutes on the bus every morning and about 45 every evening (I lived on an admittedly inefficient route). That's a full hour per day of golden time. Time to meditate and to learn. This is the time you are thrust in a small area with people you would never, ever be with otherwise. And if you're smart enough to grab the bull by the horns, this is the greatest hour of your day.
Businesspeople concerned about the environment or energy prices; single mothers hurrying to work; retired men going to meet their ilk at the coffee shop; the homeless that are simply looking for some air conditioning on a hot July afternoon; college students; high school dropouts; salaried managers; minimum wage junkies; your best friend; your worst enemy...and all crammed together in a moving room on a daily basis.
I've met grandmothers working because they couldn't afford not to, and they've changed my world views on life and death. I've met teenage lesbian couples hiding on the bus because they're not accepted elsewhere, and they've taught me that the world is still intolerant and unaccepting. I've met black single mothers that took the bus because they chose Christmas for their kids over a used car, and they've taught me that the love of a family can conquer all.
And I like to think that maybe, just maybe, the young white male that smiled and listened to their stories helped lift their burdens, helped make the world a better place for them.
From the first week that I used the PT system, I always wanted to share the insights and stories I picked up along the way. Hopefully I can do that here. My "Voices of the People" posts will be just that. I plan to recollect the experiences of the last few years and share the inevitable new ones that come along.
It's a big world with a lot of people all struggling just to be. We should all yearn to learn from one another. Take the bus, even if you have nowhere to go. Learn to smile and listen and share yourself.
You'll learn something.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)