This week I started studying in earnest for the general contractors' license exam. You might think I have enough credentials, with an MBA, a JD and a real estate broker's license. True enough. But this isn't about the money or needing something else to do. This is about doing something I've always wanted to do. From an early age I've dreamed of building certain things and by George, I intend to build some of those dreams if I can.
This all came to a head for me a couple of weeks ago. A 50 year old guy from our church, a guy who worked with me as a paralegal and property manager for four years, suddenly up and died. Massive heart attack. Boom! He's gone.
Later that week, Sue was cleaning up some papers and filing them in her little file box and she stopped, pulled out a file and started weeping. What's wrong? I asked. She held the file out to me. It was titled: Hikes I Want To Take. It was filled with cut-out magazine and newspaper articles about hikes -- mostly local but some in exotic places like Switzerland, Hawaii, Ireland etc. We haven't talked a good deal about it, but we both sort of know that Sue's hiking days might be over.
So for those of you who still have your get up and go, you might want to get up and go. Dust off your files of dreams and, like the Mamas and the Papas sang, go where you wanna wanna go, do what you wanna wanna do.
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It poses such an interesting dilemma between responsibilities and desires. Some people who just do what they want to do are considered irresponsible or to be shirking their duties. People who dont are considered sticks in the mud.
ReplyDeleteBut the key word here is "just". He didn't say that. We need to do what we wanna do, yet be responsible, too. Kind of a tough balancing act sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm.... what do I wanna wanna do? I don't have much of a file.
Well, hikes of duration or levels of strain may be out, but what about finding some short localized places where the view is terrific and on the right day a picnic might be really enjoyable? It's not the Andes or Everest, but it might still generate the same kind of feelings of delight and joy in the world - perhaps? I have a relative with MM who is learning (re-learning?) how to live today fully... but sometimes I think the idea of working more than 8 hours in a day might be pushing it... but wherever one finds one joy, there is some healing energy, I think.
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