There once was a man who was resting on a grassy field, taking in the sunshine and watching nature as it evolved around him. He sat drinking his coffee and running through the lists of tasks and duties set out for the day ahead.Off in the distance he heard the rumblings of a fast-moving train. The train was barreling along at a quick pace and making quite a bit of noise as it approached. As the rumblings grew louder, the man noticed the distinctive tone of the engine. What started as a low hum became clear, as if the train was carrying one singular message; Do What You Love. Do What You Love.
The man dismissed his initial intuition and let the engine pass him by. "Surely I'm hearing things," he thought. He let the engine and the first few cars fly by him while he took a sip of his coffee. He went about his business, but he noticed that more and more cars kept passing him. All sorts of train cars, varying in size, shape and color. Some appeared traditional and bland, while others were adorned with multi-colored graffiti or a detailed mural. Occassionally a car would catch the man's eye, but it would just as quickly be replaced by the next image zooming past.
The man tried to focus on all of the other tasks and responsibilities he knew were of importance. "This train will pass soon, and I can cross the tracks and get back to work," he said to the blades of grass beside him. And he began to stare at his hands and think of the things they could accomplish. As he reflected, he realized that his hands really weren't being put to much use as they were. Sure, they did useful things, but when all was said and done, his hands appeared empty of the possibility that could fill them.
The man began to feel troubled by this lack of possibility he felt, and he noticed the train was still passing him by. "I wonder where that train is heading?" he asked. Yet still he tried to ignore the train and focus on the tasks he knew would soon need to be completed. "Once I have crossed this off my list, I can move on to the next item, and that will give me a sense of accomplishment," he thought. But as hard as he tried, he kept hearing the chugging of the train, still repeating it's message. Do What You Love. Do What You Love.
"That seems impractical," he said, as though saying it aloud would solidify the message in his mind. But the more he tried to deny it, the more the man kept realizing that practicality was never his strong point. And there was nothing in the rule book that said he had to be practical and not also be able to do what he loved. And then the panic started to creep in as he looked and saw the last few cars of the train beginning to come closer.
The man rose to his feet, tossed his lists aside and took off in a run towards the speeding train. "I'll never catch it," he thought as his feet flew faster and faster towards the blur in front of him. But luck was on the man's side, as he was able to reach one of the last cars before they passed out of sight. With a flying leap he jumped up and tumbled inside.
After catching his breathe and righting himself to his surroundings, he took everything in. "I have no idea where this is going to take me," he thought. "But this is a nice open car, plenty of room for me to decorate and fill it with my own characteristics."
So here I am. I've joined the blog train, before it's completed dissolved into an even more evolved way of communicating. I've always had the "better late than never" mentality though, and I know that writing has always been something I've enjoyed. I've struggled in the past with finding ways to incorporate my passion into being an adult and making useful contributions to the greater good, but with the encouragement of some wonderful friends, co-workers, and my amazing husband, I'm going to give this a try.
I can't guarantee that you'll get regular updates from me, or that they'll always be interesting or entertaining. I'm going to give it a try though. Who knows? This may be the start of something amazing. And I think it's important to be amazed by something every day.
