Ruts-Are You in One?

Ruts-Are You in One?

Youth is full of possibilities.  Those who are young tend to try new things.  They welcome the opportunity to experience the new.  That might be a trip to some new and different area of the world.  It might include riding the highest roller coaster or learning to dive into the sea.  It could mean they are free of the knowledge that older folks have.  They are still in the learning mode.  No rocking chairs, please.  In place of the rocking chair, give them an airplane and a parachute.  Yes, youth can be reckless.  They can bite off more than they can chew.  But, they usually bounce back from challenge that went wrong and march off to try the next new thing.

At some point in lives that enthusiastic way of living is replaced with maturity.  Oh how I hate that word.  But, the respected way to live as an adult is to master the crazy impulses in favor of a more sedate lifestye.  We are expected to settle down.  We are expected to follow a certain path.  We are expected to be responsible.  We are expected to settle into a career and stay there.  Doesn't matter if inside we are screaming to escape.  The expectations keep us grounded in what others believe is correct.

To be fair, many find expectations comforting.  The lines are drawn, and everyone knows what they are.  It is easy to conform.  Get an education, get a job, get a partner or spouse, get a house, get children, get retirement plans, get a burial plot paid for.  The formula is laid out for us.  When we follow those guidelines,  we will live a fulfilling life.  We will not be a burden to anyone else.  We will provide for our old age and leave behind something for our children.  All of these are good things.  And they show responsibility.

Recently I read an article about a husband and wife who put all their possessions in storage and set out to live day to day.  Yes, they had the funds to do that.  That is not the point I want to discuss.  What I think is important is not where they lived, but that they had the courage to move beyond what everyone else terms successful.  They sold their house.  They have no "home."  Yet they are experiencing life in such a rich and colorful way.  They are not bound by what a society says is acceptable.  They made a change in lifestyle that is different from most of us.  I so admire their courage to step out of the line.  I can only imagine the experiences they are having and the diversity they are enjoying.  I would venture to say they are experiencing a new type of joy in life.  It takes courage to do what they did.

Maybe the question is this.  Do we settle?  Do we allow others to make the decisions for our lives?  Do we make excuses about why we do what we do instead of doing what we wish we would do?  Do we look at others' experiences and enjoy life through them?  Are we happier watching tv than having a different experience?  Do we think those who step out of line are being foolish and childlike?  Are we maybe a little critical?  And if we are critical, is it because we wish we could do the things they are doing?

Heck.  I don't know the answers to those questions.  But I do know this.  Life is to be lived.  Fully and with excitement.  How that will look depends on each person.  For me, it is so important to experience as many things as I can while I still have time.  Some of life's experiences are not for me.  I won't be climbing a mountain.  Have thought about skydiving, but have not done that yet.  Still a possibility.  I do know this.  I am the happiest when there are new challenges in life.  I like seeing something I have not seen or going somewhere I have not been.  Recently I visited an artist's private show.  With me was an artist friend.  We talked about the technique the artist used in bringing her vision to fruition on a canvas.  As we talked about each piece on display, she pointed out many things I would not have seen had I been by myself.  Later she shared with me that I had seen what she had not in the pieces.  She said I brought much to her understanding.  Now, that is what I am trying to say.  It was not a faraway place.  But, it was a moment of discovery.  I am enriched by that. She is, too.

Is there a rut that is comfortable in life?  Absolutely.  It takes energy and courage to dig out of the rut and move to a new place.  Ruts are killers of creativity. They are killers of life.  They suck everything out of us and leave nothing new except a deeper hole.  How deep of a hole are we willing to accept as our home?

Well, this old broad is not going into the beyond gently and quietly.  No way.  I am going with determination that life is not over.  That age is a number that sometimes limits but does not stop learning and growth.  I am going into the next experiences fully expecting to be amazed and awed.

Want to join me?