A new adventure awaits the bold. No, that's not entirely true. "A new adventure" is such a broad phrase that it can mean anything and apply to anyone. Well, the word adventure itself can refer to a number of things but often the connotation is mired in traditional thinking and definitions. There's no need for everyone to be "bold" (in the traditional sense) and all that, anymore. Everything really has become relative. And because traditions are being downplayed more and more all the time. They have more or less been put to the side in our fast-paced world of fast cars, lax morals, and whatever else people complain about regarding the present and the seemingly decaying future.
That's not always the case, though, is it? I mean: it really is all relative, isn't it? What is x to you, is y to me and etc and so forth. It's not all bad. Sure, things carry that illusion but is the illusion really the truth? No. Things aren't all bad. They can always be salvaged, repaired, and improved; things are always changing.
Omnia mutantur, nihil interit. (Everything changes but nothing is truly lost.)
But what is adventure?
According to the characters from that Disney-Pixar film, Up, adventure is out there!
According to Merriam-Webster, adventure is defined as
• an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks
• an exciting or remarkable experience
These days it seems anything can be considered an adventure. This isn't a complaint but more of an observation. This, however, is a complaint of sorts: If this (anything being classified as an adventure) is the case, it is a sad testament regarding the equally sad times in which we live. Have our ancestors and predecessors taken up all the adventures worth having and left us with a barren world?
One could argue that times were different; their eras (now gone by) were filled with opportunities and undiscovered countries and such. The world was still a blank slate, for the most part. The previous generation builds for the one that comes after it. In this way, things become murkier and murkier and heavier and heavier for the following generations. Yes, those repetitions were intentional. But they got all the seemingly cool stuff before the present had a chance. Bummer.
On the other hand, one could argue otherwise saying that it is up to us to make or find our own adventures. This is still possible because our universe is always growing and our potential for adventures is more subtle than it was before, and it is becoming less obvious each day. Our technology while helping us, also hinders us. Though I would say it helps more because it'll force us to find our own adventures and thrills, or it'll make them more satisfying when found.
So, adventure really is out there. Maybe not in the vast reaches of space... yet, but in our own backyards.
Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Adventure is out there.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Resiliency Amazes Me
I often say "it could be worse" because it's true. Things could, in fact, be worse. If you're alive, you could be dead. If you're suffering from an illness, said illness could be incurable. I could go on, but you get the point (and you've probably read the entry that talks about this at length).
I look at people who are really going through some living nightmare (compared to what ever I may be going through) and somehow still manage to pull through. Or, at the very least, they do not get so discouraged by their present situation that they sabotage themselves and everything they've ever worked for by giving into despair and their weaknesses.
It amazes me how they can still go in day and day out with the same steadfast determination and forward momentum. Their chasing something and are not letting anything get in their way. They go down life's cruel, cracked road, undeterred by the weight of the surrounding world. Undeterred by poorly scribbled metaphors. Or they give off that illusion of being undeterred because if one were to show cracks in their foundation, they inadvertently throw open the doors for actual crumbling and allow doubt to flood in and ruin everything. And we know that can have disastrous consequences. With or without bad metaphors.
These are the kinds of people that I tend to look up to and from whom I draw inspiration of sorts. The ones who can withstand being horsewhipped and still have the energy to juggle chainsaws. Or if I were to put it in a less ridiculous analogy: the single parent who works in a factory performing all sorts of back-breaking tasks all day and comes home weary but still summons some sort of energy to feed and help their kid(s) with their homework. The ones who can still take being crushed by the same boulder day in and day out. And shrug it off because they know that there are things greater than them. They recognize this and don't let it go to their heads, nor do they let this misguide them or distract them from whatever it is they are doing: taking care of their family, taking care of business, doing what needs to be done, etc.
Those are the people for whom I have great respect and who continue to amaze me.
I look at people who are really going through some living nightmare (compared to what ever I may be going through) and somehow still manage to pull through. Or, at the very least, they do not get so discouraged by their present situation that they sabotage themselves and everything they've ever worked for by giving into despair and their weaknesses.
It amazes me how they can still go in day and day out with the same steadfast determination and forward momentum. Their chasing something and are not letting anything get in their way. They go down life's cruel, cracked road, undeterred by the weight of the surrounding world. Undeterred by poorly scribbled metaphors. Or they give off that illusion of being undeterred because if one were to show cracks in their foundation, they inadvertently throw open the doors for actual crumbling and allow doubt to flood in and ruin everything. And we know that can have disastrous consequences. With or without bad metaphors.
These are the kinds of people that I tend to look up to and from whom I draw inspiration of sorts. The ones who can withstand being horsewhipped and still have the energy to juggle chainsaws. Or if I were to put it in a less ridiculous analogy: the single parent who works in a factory performing all sorts of back-breaking tasks all day and comes home weary but still summons some sort of energy to feed and help their kid(s) with their homework. The ones who can still take being crushed by the same boulder day in and day out. And shrug it off because they know that there are things greater than them. They recognize this and don't let it go to their heads, nor do they let this misguide them or distract them from whatever it is they are doing: taking care of their family, taking care of business, doing what needs to be done, etc.
Those are the people for whom I have great respect and who continue to amaze me.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Stultify
It's actually been pretty good weather lately. Here, at least. Makes going outside worth it. Of course, I'll probably be complaining about the heat in a few weeks, as humans are wont to do: complain. And get bored easily.
I try not to do too much of the former but the latter is a problem of sorts.
How does one combat boredom? By doin' stuff. But that in itself becomes problematic because you can only do so much until it becomes repetition. Even "doing new things" and "being spontaneous" is eventually going to turn into that boring cycle of despair. Also, it's impossible to live life following a misguided creed based on the lurid expectations of a 16-year old girl. Spontaneity can easily bleed into routine, or instability. That's not be trying to justify safety and a controlled pattern, it's the truth.
To live your life always doing "new" things and all that stuff that actually makes me cringe just reading, is only going to hurt you. Why? Because you'll always be trying to outdo yourself and top yourself and set the bar higher and higher and each time you can't top yourself, you're going to fall a million stories and be so hurt that- you get my point.
As such, you need a balance between stability and spontaneity. It should keep you on your toes for a while.
I try not to do too much of the former but the latter is a problem of sorts.
How does one combat boredom? By doin' stuff. But that in itself becomes problematic because you can only do so much until it becomes repetition. Even "doing new things" and "being spontaneous" is eventually going to turn into that boring cycle of despair. Also, it's impossible to live life following a misguided creed based on the lurid expectations of a 16-year old girl. Spontaneity can easily bleed into routine, or instability. That's not be trying to justify safety and a controlled pattern, it's the truth.
To live your life always doing "new" things and all that stuff that actually makes me cringe just reading, is only going to hurt you. Why? Because you'll always be trying to outdo yourself and top yourself and set the bar higher and higher and each time you can't top yourself, you're going to fall a million stories and be so hurt that- you get my point.
As such, you need a balance between stability and spontaneity. It should keep you on your toes for a while.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)