That being said, I can move on to topics more pertinent at this moment. The first of which being my recent re-acquisition of a claddagh ring. I have not had one in a few years, and I am glad to (once again) have one on my hand. To me it always felt as though something were missing in a way. For those who care to know, it is indeed on my right hand facing in. Most of you reading this may well not know what that means, but those of you do each acquire a few points each, because that's just cool. So, thus armed with my two rings, I go out into the world feeling at the very least secure in my own personal connections to the past, the present, and the future yet to be written.
I find more and more as I walk along that things are rarely how I thought that they might ever be. I had a very clear plan on how things were to go and where I thought I would be right now. As seconds pass me by I realize that these things aren't what I really wanted at all, and that what I really want were the last things I would have thought to ask for years ago. I was certain, at one point, that I would have it figured out by now. If I had been where I wanted to be, I wouldn't be where I am, and that would be such a shame.
someone once said 'all good things must come to an end'...what a load of crap
It really is sort of funny, because these kinds of ideas really are ridiculous. They have no basis in reality and we hang on to them with some sort of ridiculous tenacity that makes absolutely no sense. We form ideals and pictures in our minds about what we think we need or want and they have no foundation in actuality. So, why cling to them?
i mean, sure, the good things have to end, but the bad things have to end too. and then they all start over again. that's just life. and you can spend your time worrying about the bad things, but it'll kind of keep you from noticing the good things, so i wouldn't recommend it
The nature of life is this cyclical pattern that reoccurs at every turn. The problem really is that everything in a circle is a turn. We find patterns that repeat because that is how we associate and log things in our minds. Comparison is as much a trait of humanity as is emotion. There is no good without bad and no recognition of light without the emptiness of night. We go on the best we know how with the experience we have and make good on what we get and give. How else would we know how to live? The condition of humanity is such that we can only do what we know with what we are given. We can choose to make it good or we can sit and pine on what we do not have, but that is sort of a waste of time at the end of the day.
i don't really know what i'd recommend, come to think of it
I really don't know any better than the next guy what is right or wrong beyond my own experience or knowledge. I feel and experience the same as the next guy, and that is all I can do. I enjoy living like that because without that kind of subjective knowledge and basis for action I would have no grounding. I can't tell you what is best for you because only you know that. I can tell you what I would do and what I think, but you must take that advice and those words and shape them to fit your own life and experience. There is nothing else to be done for it.
really, the only time things end is when you die. that's pretty final - but not always
We go on as though there is some sort of time line that is going to end a some predetermined point ahead of us. But our influence and impact on this world never really ends. It just is. we are still quoting the works and actions of people who came before us and they still have impacts on our lives in ways that those same people never could have known. When I quote MLK to a man on the street and he ponders those words, does not the man who originally spoke those words still impact the lives of those who lived past his own life? Is that death? is death final? Not always.
people say they're trying to 'make their mark on the world' before they die - that's another kind of silly thing to say. you can't make your mark on the world unless you've got a bulldozer or know the secret of making crop circles when no one is looking.
It's not about the physical world and what we do here. The things that are more abstract make such a bigger impact on this world. The physical world does not last, as our physical bodies do not.
i figure if you're going to leave your mark, you should leave it with people, rather than inanimate things. leave it by the words you say, or the things you do. the good things, and the bad things. they go hand in hand. i don't think there's a 'big mark' you leave so much as little ones, all over the place. here and there, people repeat something you say, because it was a good idea. or you made them think something differently. or you loved them is all.
People don't always see those little things as being as important as they really are until much later most of the time. Being unrecognized for the littlest of things is the way to go on about life. Because when you've done something without recognition or pride involved, you've done so much more. There is an instinct in me that wants to simply see a smile on a stranger's face or watch as a person I care about does something for themselves that helps them. They don't always know it at the time, but it is important in that you've done something for them with no expectation of return. I'm always shocked at how grateful people are sometimes when I simply say thank you for something small. They understand the rarity of such things, and it can make their day. So, make someone's day. You never know who really needs it, and you might be that random act of kindness that makes someone feel better. Understand that as much as you may need the help, so do others. Go out of your way to see another's joy. You'd be surprised at it's results. We all have the days when we simply need that simple kindness. Some of the best moments in my life involved free cups of coffee from an understanding barista or a friend willing to stay up with me all night studying because I couldn't do it alone. There's a sense of comraderie there that cannot be replaced. Give it, take it, appreciate it. Le mo grása mise agus liomsa mo ghrá. Give what you get and get what you give. There is nothing else for it. And often enough it need not be talked about. For sometimes these sorts of things need not ever be spoken. I've told the full story only once, and that says something. There is something in those moments that makes baring your soul completely to another with no expectation of return that can be self-gratifying. The story is not always for them, and if they can understand that and give you the understanding that you need without being told than you may know that you have found, as Anne would say, a kindred spirit. And one I have found, and keep them I will if it is within my capability.
all those little marks you make, they'll add up to a big one, someday. and in the meantime, you should just live your life the best you can with what you've got to work with, and call it good.
There is no sense in making things harder than they need to be. We are all dealt a hand, and the deuce-seven can win, if played right. It's all in the play, not in the cards. There's a lot of using what you're given and knowing where to give up and when to keep going. For now, I take what I'm given and I am happy for that because it is good. It is most certainly good. You are good: for me, to me, and, most importantly, for and to yourself. I am better because of you and I like who and what I am when I am with you, and that is enough.
i guess that's what i'd recommend, come to think of it. and while you're at it, try not to take life too seriously, because sooner or later you're going to end up as it's punchline. and you can choose to be pissed off about it - or you can choose, instead, to laugh.
I CHOOSE TO LAUGH...
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