This was intended to be called, “Being An Adult Sucks” and then shit got real…sometimes you just don’t know where the ramble is going to take you. And this one didn’t even have a cocktail involved, so you know its serious.
I have learned some really hard lessons lately. Lessons that come with age, I guess. Lessons that would not have been lessons years ago, but now, in the light of old(er) age and burgeoning crow’s feet, have crept into the psyche. A couple years ago they would have been some shitty bumps in the road, an argument, a mistake, a miscalculation or a drunken night in the bar. Now, we have stiffer consequences and more people to think of than ourselves. Our decisions no longer just affect us- they affect the army of people that surround you, they can affect your family, your kids- your future.
I am pretty positive on life, usually. I used to think that life was substantially easier than we make it. Then, after a couple seasons of complete shit, I thought it may be a good time to re-evaluate the situation. Maybe life is not easy. Maybe life is much, much more difficult than anticipated. I think once I was thrust from my bubble of relative safety and status-quo I was able to see a bit more objectively.
Being a human is exhilarating and exciting but it is also a whipping of massive proportion. You can do your best, but you have no control in the actions of others around you. So, at times, it can feel like everyone has settled on crazy and you are left picking up the shards that have shattered around you. Shards are small. Shards may take a while to be noticed, until one day- one day you step in the exact right spot and it’s impossible to ignore all the broken glass around you. We all break some glass every once and a while, but the key is to clean it up. Don’t leave it for someone else.
I am definitely not saying I have the answers or some magical moral compass- but there are so many broken people out there, it’s like a minefield of sadness and coping. And while I am not one for dramatics or negativity- sometimes it just comes knocking on your god damned door.
I have lost faith in humanity. Ok, well, that may be a bit dramatic, but my opinion of the common man has been on the rocks lately. Broken, sad and morally repugnant people trying to kill the pain of bad choices and an unexamined life. Head scratching moments when I look around and think “what the fuck is wrong with everyone?!” Get it together. Make smart decisions. Don’t hurt people. Think about consequences.
So I contend that we wake the fuck up. Start making careful moves in a positive direction. Don’t hurt people, don’t use people, don’t expect others to numb your pain, don’t hope that other people will make you feel something. Take a moment to put down your fucking phone and be with yourself. Stop running on the hamster wheel and take a deep breath. What do you want to be? Who do you want to be? What legacy do you want to leave? What impressions do you want to bestow upon the next generation of people that will inevitably be navigating the same crooked path?
There is so much good in this world. Be a part of it. Make a change. Say no to mediocrity. Be the light that inspires others. Fight for what is right. Find a moral compass. Stop lurking in the shadows.