I'm going to take something a bit abstract and try to condense it into some words. It's one of those thoughts-on-life, wandering, stream-of-consciousness messes. So bear with me. Or read something more coherent. Save yourself before it's too late!
I've thought for many years that life should be easier than it's been. I don't mean easy, really. I mean simple. Simpler. I entertain the notion that you, me, and people in general are not complicated beings, and the lives we lead are equally straightforward. To be clear, I do think we're profound. The universe is. Its Maker certainly is, and our inherent, dim reflection of his nature bestows that on each of us. We've all said something like, "it's complicated" or "look, my problems are a really complex mess." And maybe it looks that way from a lot of angles, but at heart it's achingly and profoundly simple. So many human messes boil down to the heartache of loneliness, the human need for closeness with God. In fact, I struggle to think of examples that aren't a product of this universal suffering.
I also said life is profound. It has meaning; it's deeply colored with purpose. That's critical considering another universal human trait is a desire for this sort of significance. But oh-so-many things come between us and our significance. We are God's beloved, purposed and empowered. Life is a fantastic journey that dwarfs the bounds of our imagination. This is truth. But we - I - am limited by fear, by the limitations imposed by society and its closed-mindedness, by my own dreams and desires, by distractions ad infinitum. And it's pathetic. It's a sad, tragic little tale of my little life that I, myself, have belittled and bound and bordered and broken. And now I see the great gap between what is and what was purposed to be. The journey to bridge it begins, and it's comforting to know that I'm guaranteed love, grace, company, and victory to keep me buoyant in the equally certain rough bits.
Tangentially related to all this is my recent and cheesy obsession with motorcycles. See, I'm going to get one eventually. Because they are great fun and fascinating engineering, yes, but also because I've always been too afraid to. Like most men, I suppose, I've always wanted a crotch rocket. It's hardcore, badass, and not-so-vaguely sexual. But statistics say 117% of motorcyclists die three times or more on public roads, and this teamed with practicality issues involving storage space and passenger capacity eventually kill the dream stone dead. See but that's ridiculous. There is a reasonable and responsible way to ride the things, and despite the statistics and the legitimacy of my fears, I will. And I'll love it when it's good, hate it when it's raining, and always be excited and emotional about it. And if I die, so be it.
Don't misunderstand me. Like Lewis Hamilton said in his Top Gear interview, "I'm not looking to waste my life." But consider this: living by fear is living small, and that's the worst waste of life.
Simple. Profound. Good living to you.
Ducati Monster 696
I've thought for many years that life should be easier than it's been. I don't mean easy, really. I mean simple. Simpler. I entertain the notion that you, me, and people in general are not complicated beings, and the lives we lead are equally straightforward. To be clear, I do think we're profound. The universe is. Its Maker certainly is, and our inherent, dim reflection of his nature bestows that on each of us. We've all said something like, "it's complicated" or "look, my problems are a really complex mess." And maybe it looks that way from a lot of angles, but at heart it's achingly and profoundly simple. So many human messes boil down to the heartache of loneliness, the human need for closeness with God. In fact, I struggle to think of examples that aren't a product of this universal suffering.
I also said life is profound. It has meaning; it's deeply colored with purpose. That's critical considering another universal human trait is a desire for this sort of significance. But oh-so-many things come between us and our significance. We are God's beloved, purposed and empowered. Life is a fantastic journey that dwarfs the bounds of our imagination. This is truth. But we - I - am limited by fear, by the limitations imposed by society and its closed-mindedness, by my own dreams and desires, by distractions ad infinitum. And it's pathetic. It's a sad, tragic little tale of my little life that I, myself, have belittled and bound and bordered and broken. And now I see the great gap between what is and what was purposed to be. The journey to bridge it begins, and it's comforting to know that I'm guaranteed love, grace, company, and victory to keep me buoyant in the equally certain rough bits.
Tangentially related to all this is my recent and cheesy obsession with motorcycles. See, I'm going to get one eventually. Because they are great fun and fascinating engineering, yes, but also because I've always been too afraid to. Like most men, I suppose, I've always wanted a crotch rocket. It's hardcore, badass, and not-so-vaguely sexual. But statistics say 117% of motorcyclists die three times or more on public roads, and this teamed with practicality issues involving storage space and passenger capacity eventually kill the dream stone dead. See but that's ridiculous. There is a reasonable and responsible way to ride the things, and despite the statistics and the legitimacy of my fears, I will. And I'll love it when it's good, hate it when it's raining, and always be excited and emotional about it. And if I die, so be it.
Don't misunderstand me. Like Lewis Hamilton said in his Top Gear interview, "I'm not looking to waste my life." But consider this: living by fear is living small, and that's the worst waste of life.
Simple. Profound. Good living to you.
Ducati Monster 696
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