Shoestrings -- AWOLNATION

Things are good. I know, as I write this, that things could change more quickly than I can write... I recall saying much the same when we last met here.

Hmm...where was I? Ah, I remember, I'm growing as a person. I am taking control of my future and doing work that is both satisfying to my spirit and rewarding in all the best ways. I get the pleasant privilege of teaching children. When I think of how exciting it was for me as a child to learn, well, everything -- it's just as exciting for me to learn something new today. Only now I can share all the things that I have learned with others and instill a love of knowledge in all those that I encounter.

I always knew that I would change the world. I had thought, for a time, that I would write a great book that would strike the heartstrings of everyone who read it and inspire them to believe in the good of the world. Perhaps even convince people that they can... defeat hatred and embrace love. Stop wars. Stop senseless death. Encourage kindness and love. I genuinely thought that this was my goal in life, and I forged my own path based on being able to effectively communicate such a great work of art to the world. It would be available in all forms and languages. Accessible. Insightful. Canon-worthy. Maybe I will write a great book someday. Maybe I will just try to finish the ones that I have already started. In the meantime I will share this gift of mine by teaching others what I know. That's what I need to do. This is what I was meant to do with my life.

I accept the things that I cannot control. I have come to accept a great deal of things that I never thought--never even anticipated--that I would endure, let alone create for myself, in the short span of my life thus far. Still, I am certain of my path. I can't see the end of the path, or even beyond the horizon. At the present moment I can see to the horizon and do my best to navigate the world with all my senses. Hopefully I will leave in my wake laughter, understanding, and kindness. At least that's the goal.

I heard a piece on NPR about a month ago about non-complimentary behavior. I was familiar with the textbook term, but hadn't really made the connection between definition and practical use and I just didn't realize that I used it so often. Every time someone expects a certain reaction or response, my absolute favorite thing to do is shake things up--tell them something they  weren't expecting. It's how I live my life. Being non-complimentary. And it's fantastic. 

Sometimes, at Kroger, I fully expect a new cashier to ask me if I found everything alright. It's a question they've been trained to ask, so they do it, and usually there's the standard reply of, "Yes." But not me. I'm in line just waiting for them to ask me just so I can say,"No!" Even if I found everything just fine. You gotta keep them on their toes. Otherwise they'll never expect the unexpected, ever. And I just can't have that.