Balance...

Balance, Yin and Yang, beauty in suffering.

We cannot know what it means to be free unless we have known what it means to be trapped. No joy without pain. A measure of good can only be known by an equal measure of evil. The amount we suffer is directly proportional the amount we have love. We have lost by what we have given.

Is it in only the wise or the insane who know this? We live in a society that insulates itself from danger and risk. We tell ourselves if we are safe, we will be happy. Yet, we have raised a generation of children who are afraid to leave home or make decisions for themselves. We are seeing a whole generation of children stay home with their parents until their late twenties, not willing to risk financial burden.

There are those of us who are like the caged lion born in the zoo, pacing his enclosure, longing for the open plain where he can run. He has never known the open skies of the Serengeti, but his instinct tells him something is amiss with his environment. There those who feel as though they are in a cage, but they cannot define the boundaries. While some can see the cage, but dare not step through the gate left open, the world beyond is frightening and dangerous. Yet, we that feel the urge to tear down the walls and emancipate ourselves from our own shackles must know it is our birthright to run free.

It is up to each of us to define the life we live. It is easier to believe forces outside of our control define us and our lives, but we always have the ability to choose. With each choice comes a consequence. However, it is not for us to judge each other's choices. Should we choose to live in the safety and comfort of walls, then this is the experience we have chosen for ourselves and it should be celebrated. Should we choose a life of experience and adventure, defying the conventional, then that is the path we have chosen for ourselves and it should be celebrated.

It is the dichotomy of desire that creates the cage and the shackles, the desire to experience a thing, only to make choices which bring us further away from our goals. The cage that so many of us live in, is the mistaken belief we must follow the norm, the status quo. When we learn to believe there is no alternative, that is when we have become the caged lion. When we have chosen to live the status quo, we have built a life for ourselves and can experience it fully.

10 days to go...

I am starting to get a little nervous. So much to do, so little time.

The Road not Taken

Life is a daring adventure or nothing...

I have to admit, I have never been this organized or driven towards a goal. Ever. I have never committed to a goal so wholeheartedly, nor have I wanted to do something so much I can taste it.

We all have and have had goals in our lives, big and small, that dream we have held so dear. We go through life chasing our dreams, keeping pace. Then, as time goes on we get distracted. We start looking around at the scenery and soon we have forgotten the chase.

That was my life. Caught up in the scenery, my dreams long forgotten, and one direction was as good as another. They all led to the same nowhere. Every once and a while, I would catch a glimpse of the dreams I had, like seeing the trees rustle as a dear jumps away into the safety of the foliage.

Eventually, the scenery bored me. It was nice, it was comfortable and stable, but I felt dead inside. It is time to chase my dream.

Recon 1

I thought I would be organized and prepared for a change, so I went to MEC and did a little reconnaissance. Holy Moses, it is going to cost a fortune to equip myself. This is going to take a lot more positive thinking.

Hrrmmmmph...

Ouch, headache.

Craziest. Idea. Ever.

I have decided since I am out of work, can't find any work, and have no real desire to work, I am going to close down shop and travel the world. Craziest damned thing I have ever thought of.

For a very long time I have wanted to travel and see the world, but I was bound by my commitments, more than that though, I just never made the effort. I realized recently, I haven't accomplished a lot in my life, no great stories, nothing really worth writing about. (Well, I did jump out of a perfectly good plane once and that is a pretty good story, I think so anyway.) Since I lost my job at the end of December, I have been struggling to find work, but more than that, I have been struggling to find a job I would actually like. It dawned on me, rather suddenly I might add, I should take this time and just travel. I went from thinking I should see some of Europe, to traveling all of Europe by motorcycle (okay, that is just hair-brained, I don't even know how to ride a motorcycle), to traveling everywhere around the world until I have gotten my fill. I don't know how I am going to do it, I don't know how I am going to pay for it, but isn't that part of the adventure?!

I have only told a couple people so far, but I am looking forward to the various reactions I will be getting from friends and family. It will be entertaining at the very least, but I doubt many people will actually be surprised. Maybe a little when they realize how long I plan to be gone, but we will see. I regret I will not be able to play Ultimate Frisbee this summer, I feel like I will be letting people down. Some how though, I think they might be able to find a way to carry on without me. Be strong! I will certainly miss everyone though.

I think this will be the best thing I will have ever done for myself in my life. Even the cat curled up in my lap isn't enough to keep me from adventuring. Almost, not quite.