Mark Twain was a Longboarder

Thought. A marvelous thing, really. It is at our command almost all the time, sitting, waiting to be utilized. Waiting to help us make life’s decisions. Wanting to help or moral compass set things straight. Just waiting.

It is a pity, then, that it is not employed as much as we’d like. All of us do it from time to time. We get caught up in the string of things, the flow of what we’re told and what is perceived as the norm. We forget to check in with our shoulder angel, and that big pink thing. Personally, I’m tired of it. It’s worn on me for too long.

Tonight I walked out of the house, armed with nothing but a sweatshirt and my longboard. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, or how long I’d be. I just walked out without a word. I needed to think. I needed to get away from all the trappings of life, from the TV to the internet to conversations to working on my to-do list. I needed to escape it all and just…think.

The surfing culture really knows what it’s talking about when it portrays surfing (and skating, as in my case) as a paradise, a peaceful respite from the world. A place where you can just be you, away from all your worries and burdens. There was a time when I would have written it off as pothead jargon, if that’s even possible. Recently though, I’ve seen how incredibly on the mark they are. I find it one of the best ways to clear your mind, to wash away everything and think straight for the first time in a while.

As I circled the closed-down K-Mart parking lot, weaving in and out of parking spaces and carving the lanes, I was finally able to make some sense of a lot of things. Ideas and impressions that I had gotten, feelings I had felt, inclinations that had tugged at my mind…they all came to life. Stripped from their initial birthplaces and scenarios, I was finally able to make sense of them. I was able to see what made sense, and what was just foolish imaginings.

All too often, people tell you to do what’s expected. They tell you to keep your head down, know your place, and take a number. Go get good grades so you can go to college and get a good job where you’ll be nice and safe and your kids can do the same. Well that’s all well and good for financial security, but where is the life in all of this? Where do dreams, passions, and happiness fit into this mandate? The fact of the matter is, they don’t. The formula we are presented with, be it the example given or another variation of it (work hard, take over the family business, keep up traditions, represent your family and your brotherhood, etc.), leaves no room for these things. What they provide is a stable, “reliable”, cozy little comfort zone from which to hide from life.

But you can’t hide from life forever.

I challenge this system. I challenge the status quo. I challenge the “do-as-you-are-expected”, no risks path chosen as the ideal route for us without our consent. What about my dreams? What about my talents? Do they count for anything? What if I don’t care about the money…then what? Where does happiness fit into this? Where does making the world a better place fit into this?

The fact of the matter is: it doesn’t.

I’m done taking this lying down. I’ve decided to go for it. I’m going to take some risks. I’m going to be unorthodox. I’m going to challenge the norm. I’ve been given my talents for a reason, and I am going to use them. I will pursue my dreams, no matter how “unpractical” or difficult they may be. I believe in myself, even if they don’t. It’s a great pity that they don’t. That’s another thing…so many people claim to support, but in reality they don’t. They’re proud when you do succeed, but they don’t trust, they don’t expect, and they don’t believe until the success is already in their faith. There comes a point where they must realize that no more is it their decision to make. They have to let us succeed or fail on their own. They may love us to death, but maybe that’s it. That’s exactly why they don’t want to let us do it ourselves.

But it must be done.

So I’m going for it. I’m following my dreams, I’m pushing my ambitions, and I’m working towards my vision of a happy life according to my own conscience, what I know to be true and right and good. I will choose the priorities in my life, and if I have to sleep in McDonalds bathrooms or work a midnight janitorial shift to make it work, I will. The world isn’t changed by being another face in the crowd. No self-made success has ever gotten where they are by sticking to the “tried and true” formula of today’s society. I’m setting my goals, I’m setting my sights, and I’m going to do it, no matter how much I get laughed at.

So I guess this is what this blog is all about. Life, bringing out the best yourself, acting on what you know to be true, and reaching your full potential are all things I am passionate about. I may write about music from time to time, since that is a great love of mine, along with good books. I may also indulge in some politics as well, but never more than can be swallowed. Philosophy looks to be a regular topic.

Overall, this is me, and this is what I am about. This is what this blog is about. It will all be worth it if just one person feels uplifted. If a single person feels some sort of connection, or thinks “I’m not alone”, or is encouraged to do what they know is right despite outside pressures, or if one person makes some sort of self-discovery, no matter how small, then I will be eternally happy. I can’t ask for more than that.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain