The Creative Ones

The creative ones walk a lonely road only few dare to travel. It is not for the weak or faint of heart. Not everyone can survive the harsh climate of doubt and ridicule through which this passage runs. It is paved with the dust, cinder and bones of the shattered dreams of our ancestors. Over time, those broken, brittle remnants have solidified to a surface their descendants may not have otherwise been able to cross. The further along the road these dream seekers travel, they are met with challenges that stagger the mind. Like castaways in an unforgiving desert they are struck with the fear of demise and also suffer mirages of their rescue. This is the most critical time of their difficult journey. It is the midpoint which can easily become the breaking point. During this time, the creative traveler is usually faced with a difficult decision; surrender to their fears, thereby reversing course and admitting defeat, or take the chance of completing their pilgrimage against all odds.

Those who choose to continue eventually see faint glittering lights lining the hazy horizon. It fills them with a hope they aren't sure they can fully trust since they fear it may be just another illusion. However, it eventually becomes apparent that the lights are indeed very real, as is the inspiration they contain. Upon seeing the source of the illumination, the traveler weeps in awe. He realizes the lights were being held by people much like him--people who endured the long, demanding road of perseverance in order to achieve their goals. One of the many bearers explained that although they couldn't physically help him reach his destination, they shined their lights of hope to let him know he was on the right path.

Over time, what had started out as a faint flicker had grown into a shimmering beam as more people succeeded in their endeavors and joined the light bearers. It's not until the creative one sees the glow of his realized dream does the traveler discover that it is his turn to add to the beacon of inspiration.

Literacy

Literacy and knowledge are valuable assets many of our ancestors died attempting to achieve, often times unable to grasp it. I am saddened to see the accumulation of evidence that our society--which currently has these advantages so readily available for the taking--continue to take it for granted. Too often I have come into contact with people who laughingly joke about not knowing how to read or the fact they simply don't feel like it. It is no wonder that such a mindset is accompanied by the basic inability to communicate clearly, thus resulting in unnecessary conflict and misunderstanding. This way of thinking is rapidly plunging our society into the thorny depths of ignorance in which many of our previous generations have met their demise. The increasing violence, intolerance and division are evident of this. But what, exactly, threatens to propel us back in time to repeat the fate of those who came before us? Is it the stress of challenging ourselves that we find intimidating? Are we just too lazy to think for ourselves, preferring someone else to do it for us? Maybe it's a fear of failure. Is that why many of us blame others for our stagnate way of living while we cower behind a sheer veil of lame excuses? Perhaps it's a combination of all the aforementioned.

Personally, I never saw the allure in allowing someone else to be the captain of my creativity or the pilot of my reasoning. Though, in the past, I have been guilty of falling into the trap of feeling that the objectives of others were superior to my own. Everyone, yes, everyone in our society is more than capable of stretching themselves beyond their comfort zone in order to increase their capacity. There are always new things to learn, new paths to take and new barriers to overcome. However, if we refuse to arm ourselves with the power of knowledge and literacy and apply it to our lives, we have basically surrendered ourselves to failure.

What ever happened to...

...manners and decency? It may seem trivial, but basic manners and decency can go a long way. However, it's not something that's practiced as widely as it once was. I believe it all comes down to how parents raise their children. Luckily, my parents have instilled these qualities in me. These days, it seems that such parents are few and far between. These days, children are cursing and behaving obscenely before they even begin elementary school. Sadly, instead of finding this behavior reprehensible, adults are laughing and encouraging it. It's even celebrated on TV and in movies that preach intolerance, stupidity and disrespect. Bad behavior is revered and rewarded--just look at how many bad role models today's children are emulating. Instead of teaching kids the basic 'Please' and 'Thank You', children are learning 'Oh, please! F@%^ you!' Sad, but true. Now, this is not to say there aren't people out there who still practice the dying art of respectful manners, but they are rapidly becoming outnumbered. We no longer live in a society of patience. Everything must be done right away and apparently that leaves no time for manners. People don't care whom they disturb with loud conversations, blasting music and offensive language. They have forgotten that we share a world with other people who have just as much right to be here as we do. They don't realize that bad behavior accumulates and the things we do can be the last straw on someone's back. There are a lot of people with dangerously short fuses and sadly we never know whom we're liable to tick off. We see it every day with mass shootings and seemingly spontaneous acts of violence. Truth be told, if everyone lived their lives with just a little more patience, respect and consideration, these things would happen less often. If we stop ignoring each other and actually take a little time to pay attention to one another, maybe the world won't seem as hopeless. This is not to say everyone should go out, bend over backwards and kiss everyone's ass, but we shouldn't go out of our way to be rude either. Everything we dish out comes back around eventually.

Dreams

Dreams are children of the mind. Far too often, they are abandoned at the doorstep of the world. We are sometimes given the impression that we have no other choice but to wrap them up in a blanket of doubt and leave them behind, hoping we'll see them again someday. Fulfilling what we believe to be our purpose, we soon find ourselves wondering if, perhaps, one day we'll see our dream in passing as we go through our daily routines.

As the days melt like wax, forming months, years and decades, we gradually lose hope on ever seeing the dream child again. After awhile, we begin to wonder about what became of it. Did it survive beyond the day we left it or did it die just beyond the cold entrance of reality--never having a chance to experience the light of manifestation? We cloak our guilt in denial as we convince ourselves that we had no choice but to surrender our dream. However, when we finally see it buried in the crowded forgotten grave, created by our dutiful obligations, there is no denying the result of our actions. No matter how hard we try to rationalize it by whatever the reason may have been--whether heading off to war, pursuing a new career, or trying to please family, friends or lovers--the result remains unchangeable. Our dream has died and a part of ourselves has died with it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that some things are just too precious to sacrifice if you can help it. That's why I refused to abandon my brainchild. I chose to avoid a lifetime of regret in exchange for many days of hard work, happiness, growth and wondrous amazement. I came to realize that, chances are, no one will ever care and nurture a dream in quite the same way as its creator. It is up to the creator, the dreamer, to ensure that their dream has the best chance of survival. I am often puzzled by the fact dreamers are so frequently ignored, rejected or misunderstood. Sometimes, it seems there is very little room for such people in a world obsessed with answers, logic and control. This may be due, in part, to the fact that dreams have a tendency to be abstract and incomprehensible--qualities many people find frightening. However, if one were to look around and observe the universe, it will become blatantly obvious that it in itself is filled with elements just as inexplicable as dreams. Like the universe, our dreams have infinite potential--we only need to explore them to the best of our ability.

Accountability

Like many, I have witnessed the increasing spewing of ignorance and hatred on the web. It prompted me to ask one question: Is there any sense of accountability anymore? Unfortunately, some people feel that just because their words travel through a series of wires and circuits that it doesn't affect the person on the other side of the internet, but it does. They feel that the person they become on the web is imaginary--an extra in a vast land of make believe. In actuality, it's often a very real mask they wear in order to obscure who they really are, not knowing that the facade they present is closer to the real them then they care to admit. Aren't we all a little more like ourselves when nobody's watching--or when we think they aren't? We need to wake up and remember that just because we have the freedom of speech, it doesn't mean it should be abused or used for the sole purpose of harming others. To do so is an insult to the many people who died to grant us this privilege and detrimental to the goal they had in mind for the future. People feel they can say anything without consequences and blind themselves to the potential damage they're causing. It's so easy to forget that there are human beings on the receiving end of our words. For us not to respect that and act accordingly is an injustice not only to them, but to ourselves since what we do often comes back to us.

Abandonment

I've suffered the pain and disappointment of abandonment of friendship at a time when I thought I needed it most. It really hurt and aggravated me since I'd been there for these people during their darkest hours of need. I never expected them to repay me for it, but I didn't expect them to neglect me in the manner in which they did. I initially thought I had done something wrong. I later discovered that was not the case after I broached the issue. Instead of addressing the issue head on, they brushed me aside--promising to get back to me, but never doing so for months and in some cases, over a year! I've heard that everything happens for a reason and for the longest time I struggled to find the reason for these occurrences. It finally dawned on me that by them dropping me by the wayside, I was forced to go through many of my obstacles alone. As a result, I was able to find my own strength and rely on my own two feet to carry me wherever I wanted or needed to go. Though I can't forget what they've done, I have forgiven them. I know that carrying a grudge will only put more weight on my back. I also realize that I can't focus on where I'm going if I keep staring at the path behind me. However, I take a short glance every now and then as a reminder of what could happen if I'm not careful. That way, I know what signs to look out for to prevent history from repeating itself. In retrospect, I realize that although certain people turned their backs on me I wasn't completely alone the whole time--although it occasionally seemed that way. I was fortunate enough to have people in my circle who have stuck by me when times were really tough. For that, I will be forever grateful. Such people are hard to come by and shouldn't be taken for granted.

Tolerance and Acceptance

I have recently come across a rather heated debate on religion, those who don't tolerate it and those who mock it. One person posted a response that basically stated that a person who mocks a religion is pretty much guaranteed a seat in hell (I'm paraphrasing here). I normally avoid discussing such topics, but felt compelled to voice my opinion this go 'round. The following is something I posted on a forum about a day ago:

I usually steer clear of religious debates since it rarely ends well, but I must admit that if it were left to us to decide who goes to hell or not, the entire earth would be a massive fireball.

I think it's unfortunate for anyone to be ridiculed for their personal beliefs--religious or otherwise. I like humor as much as the next person, but I also believe some things are sacred and shouldn't be made fun of--especially since such mocking can fuel violent actions and lead to intolerant behavior. Whether we like it or not, we all share one planet even though we don't share the same beliefs.

We get so wrapped up with trying to label each other instead of viewing each other as human beings. Not everyone chooses the same path in their lives and that's fine. What's important is what we do with our own. If we spend our entire lives trying to govern another person and dictate how they should live or the choices they should make, we often lose sight of our own lives. It's like being on the road and trying to drive someone else's car and your own at the same time--someone's liable to get hurt. Just because we all have different beliefs and views doesn't mean it's impossible to get along.