90-to-40: Passing Sarcoxie

Day 32:

I saw a lot of signs today while driving from Texas to our home in Illinois. A LOT of signs.

I could have gone to any number of auctions, roadside stands, realty companies and a plethora of "possibly  interesting" small towns. The "worlds largest rocking chair" WAS tempting, I must admit.

I couldn't help but relate the physical "signs" (which never fail to clutter up the highways and ruin perfectly good photo opportunities) to the metaphorical "signs" in my life.

Take for instance the roadsign that read, "Sarcoxie, MO - 1 mile." That could be nothing more than a warning for Sarcoxians not to miss their exit. Or... it could be an opportunity to explore a new place.

It was a complete non-decision to keep moving forward based on time constraints, not to mention a complete disinterest in Sarcoxie, MO. But another day - under different circumstances - we may veer off the road and discover something wonderful. 

On the other hand, life sometimes sends me "signs." My body screams out that it is exhausted from time to time... but I fly right past it. Friends send signs that they need help, my partner sends out signs that he needs some care, or my schedule sends out an S.O.S. for some serious retooling.  But... I get focused on the destination and don't heed the opportunity to explore what the signs have to offer.

Passing the signs by isn't all bad. Sometimes it's just what you gotta do. But it shouldn't be the rule that I am dismissive of the physical opportunities to explore the world... or the more personal and spiritual signs from my gut.

That has to change. Not only do I need to listen to my gut in my daily life, but I might need to check out this Sarcoxie place. I'll never know what I could discover about myself and the world around me.

90-to-40: Changing the script

Day 33:

In the movies, characters always know the perfect words, at the perfect time to make every moment count. Comedic timing is spot-on. Expressions of love are always heartfelt and gasp-worthy. Even fear is eloquently played out for maximum impact. Everything weaves together to play out a perfect story... a script.

And, we... the viewers... get lost in the screen. The world around us goes dim and we ARE a character in the movie.

Then the lights go up and we walk out into the world with new, unrealistic expectations of ourselves and those around us. But... our quirky comedic timing is still a half-second off, and our age-old wisdom is a little tired.

The real world isn't scripted by Oscar winning writers. We have to make it up as we go. Sure... the more experience we have, the better we are at it. But, we do not live on the silver screen.

Yes... we all know the difference between reality and fantasy. But with the bombardment of scripted and biased media, is it possible to be "real" anymore?  Do we even understand what that looks like?

As I move forward in my life, I want become more aware of how I make decisions. I will take extra care to understand if my choices are unique, or programed by the opinion-media. I will choose to act on my true nature, rather than react to expectations. At least, I will try my best.

It is my hope that this awareness will help me make a few more authentic choices. And, that... that will change the script of my life.