Thursday, May 31, 2012
Pictures
Frozen moment in time. Smiles, fake and genuine. One story told, a dozen others hidden. What lurks behind that momentary happiness? A time when someone was more than they are now. It's impossible to predict where their paths will end. You only wish that you could return to the time when everything was simpler. Known. The moment in that picture. A moment seen through objective lens, captured by an unfeeling camera. You wish you were as happy as that picture made you look. A frozen moment of joy that in unfortunate reality may not have even been genuine in its capture. What use is nostalgia? What use is the longing for a time that now only exists on a 4x7 piece of paper, an evocation of tears? I look at my wall of pictures and I think, these are the people who made me. I owe them for who I am, and who I want to be. I can't fail them. Yet, they are already so different from the people they were in those pictures. I am so different. My dreams aren't, but my life is. That's what happens to so many people: life. How do I keep life from robbing me too? How do I remain the smiling face in that picture? What happens if I never become the successful person they saw in the me in that picture? What happens if I become less than what I was then? Will they still love me like they did when we took that picture together? Will they still be here? Will I still be here? Or, will I be stuck in a longing for the past?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
From a parents point of view, I can assure you that there is nothing you can do, no place you can go, that your parents’ love will not be there, embracing you, surrounding you, being part of you, NEVER leaving you. Love is not based on success; it is just love! In its rawest form, plain and simple, love.
ReplyDeleteAs far as life robbing you, well, that depends on how you look at life. Life is constantly changing. Some things we can control and some things we cannot. Some things happen to us, some happen for us. All in all, life is unpredictable and that’s just the way it is. When the unpredictable comes our way, it forces us to make decisions. Some will be easy, some will be hard, and some may be paralyzing. After all is weighed out, the conclusion will help to make the decision. Sometimes we will settle and sometimes we won’t. It becomes a matter of worth. Is it worth it? Can I live with this the rest of my life? Is this permanent or temporary? Is it just a means to the end? Will it help me reach my goal? Is this what I have to do to develop the skill needed to handle the goal when I get there? Then make your move.
Life is something that should be embraced and enjoyed; something to be excited about. Even in the hardships, confusion, and uncertainties. All these things work together to make us who we are. I look at my life and see the many unpredictable things that have happened to me. Without them I would not be who I am today. Although some have been painful, they have shaped me, pruned me, taught me, and made me better. What I can control and give power to in all the unpredictable events life throws at me are my choices. If it turns out that I make the wrong choice, then so be it. I will live and learn from it. What I learn today will be my wisdom tomorrow. I will be stronger for it. What made me strong today will give me hope to push on tomorrow. Nothing “less” here, only “more.” Get the picture?