What are we waiting for?
Another tomorrow? Perhaps the second coming of Christ? Even though he told his apostles that he would be right back, but that was promised some two thousand years ago?
Angels?
The wisdom of the right fortune cookie?
What you waiting for?
A disease to turn us into the walking dead?
Perhaps a cold nuclear winter? Ozone collapse?
Maybe another senseless act of terrorism, so we can marvel and reflect, on all the good things we lost and had?
Why wait?
What is the sense of it?
Somewhere along the way, you accepted the illusion that if you studied and did well on our spelling quiz, got the ‘you’re awesome’ sticker, your mom and dad would be so proud, and everything would be alright.
You traded in your childhood fantasy, only a few years later, for the illusion and comfort that comes from blindly following crowds. It doesn’t really matter what crowd we follow. There is always a crowd for everyone. Even the crowd of not being accepted by a crowd.
You traded in your spelling quiz stickers for the sticky acceptance of your peers. You convinced yourselves that if you could only dress a certain way, behave in a certain way, think and feel a certain way, talk and walk a certain way, chase the same dreams as everyone else, and pretended to be happy, everything would be alright.
Don’t ask. Don’t tell. Work hard. Don’t be stupid.
Things are going to be alright.
Things are not alright.
You were suddenly shaken awake from your naive slumber, probably by your parents, and were off once again to discover your new-found sense of purpose in life. You entered the world of academia. You proudly arrived at the door of higher learning.
You dove right in, frosh week, loans and all, becoming a dutiful student, waiting patiently for your turn at a career, a house, investments, family, vacations in Cuba, retirement, and no, you never, ever, dared to contemplate death. There was no need. Tomorrow always comes. There will always be a tomorrow. Your life will be different. You are lucky. You will live forever.
This is not a reflection on death.
It is a reflection on life.
We have accepted the artificial and non-existing borders of our make-believe countries. We have naively accepted the difference between being black and white, although no one seems to care that one is really, really, dark or light brown, and the other is somewhat off white, with a pinkish hue, or a little bit of eggshell.
We are divided into continents, countries, provinces, cities, the teams we root for, the music we listen to, the neighbourhood we live in, the car we drive, and the restaurants we visit.
We divide ourselves into fat and skinny, tall and short, smart and stupid, rich and poor, single or otherwise involved.
We have a lot of rules. We have a lot of laws. We have a lot of little tiny, seen and unseen little tiny mechanisms that govern who we are and why we do the things we do, yet, somewhere in all that mess, we find ourselves to be alive, and in search of meaning.
We are resilient.
If you quit your job today (please don’t), you will eventually find another one. Every relationship you’ve ever had, no matter how many tears you’ve shed, photos you’ve burned, and beds you’ve shared, was always followed by a new one.
The money you need (truly need), you always seem to find. Just try going without heat in the winter, or without a vehicle for too long.
If we can find the money. If we can find time. If we have proven to ourselves again and again that we are resilient, resourceful, committed, exceptional, magnificent little creatures why do we have such a tough time living our lives?
Why do we not take care of today, instead of praying and existing for tomorrow?
If you don’t dream, you are essentially dead. Our wakeful dreams are just as important for happiness, as the unconscious dreams when visit at night.
If you don’t clearly identify the resources you need, the time you need, the money you need, to chase your dreams, you will never get started.
If you don’t wake up every day, and just dig, and dig, and dig at your dream, you will never get there.
What are you waiting for?
Another day? Another lie? Another mindless crime?
Please don’t take offence at my Innuendo, and remember that,
you can be anything you want to be
just turn yourself
into anything you think that you could ever be
be free with your tempo
be free
be free
surrender your ego
be free
be free
to yourself
(Freddy Mercury/Queen)
What are you waiting for?
