We too often settle on a lesser version of ourselves. When we are in our formative years we want to be an astronaut, doctor, or in my case, it was an architect. Somewhere along the line, I let myself get distracted, but I always thought that there was plenty of time. And while we may change that vision of our true selves with time and as we gain life experience, we too often settle and cease to grow or challenge ourselves. We become complacent. Life beats us down. We take jobs just to pay the bills, telling ourselves it’s just for a little while. All the while knowing that there is more we could be doing. More we should be doing. If you manage to find yourself a good-paying job, you get pulled into wanting the next new gadget or maybe a shiny new car. Why not? You work hard. Besides, you can easily swing the monthly payments. Then suddenly, you’re barely scraping by again. Or worse yet, you’re underwater. Too much month left at the end of your money as the saying goes. Before you know it your life is nearly at an end and you look back with regret. I’m not referring to how much money you could have made, but the difference you might have made, to your family, to yourself, and to everyone around you. I recently completed a college course I took while working my dead-end job. The immense sense of pride I had when I was done, especially having earned a 4.0, made me proud. There were many nights that after having put in an 8-hour day that studying was the last thing on my mind, but I did it. It felt good to know I could do it. And it made me proud to show my family that more than just coming home and plopping down on the sofa and watching TV was possible. That was my primary reason for having done it. And for my kids, if their 61-year-old father could do it then why not them? You never stop trying to teach your children. And who knows, starting a new career when close to 70 wouldn’t be such a crazy idea. I could live to past 100. In fact, I said I was going to live to 115 didn’t I? If I was to end up some college’s oldest graduate I wouldn’t be upset at all. Doing it while I was a quadriplegic mute, now that would be something to talk about! I just have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. You’re never too old to grow and learn. As the saying goes, If you’re not moving forward you’re moving backwards.
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Thanks to my 2nd cousin Veronica Jo Brassfield who drew this. I can’t say enough how much I love and appreciate it!
