So, pretend it's Thursday, September 16, 2010.
It was early in the morning and I decided to take a jog. Leaving my iPod in my dorm room, my mind was free to experience the pain of running uninhibited. As I gasped for breath (the altitude only hits me when I'm running or climbing a long flight of stairs), I began to marvel at the beauty of the chilly morning. I ran down the sidewalk and past a few gardens. The brilliantly yellow sunflowers (I think they were sunflowers...) looked so perfect against the faded wooden fence. Tiny purple flowers caught my eye, and I vowed to bring my camera back soon (something I have yet to do). I remembered how much I love the simple beauties of nature, and the freedom and joy simply enjoying the world brings.
Later today (remember, it's still Thursday) I listened to someone talk about their story. Not a pop-up picture book, or novel they had written, but their life story. That stuck out to me. They talked about making sure you have a good life story. We have to know what we want, who we wish to be, and what kind of story we desire to tell. I've never really thought about my life in those terms before. When I think about it, though, I won't be on this earth forever, so what will people say about me when I'm dead, what part of my life story, if any, will be remembered? It really makes you think about what you do with your life. I know I want a good story, I want an exciting story, and most of all I want a story that is remembered. Not because I became famous, won an award, or made a brilliant scientific discovery, but because I made a difference with my life. Even if I only make a difference in the lives of a few people, that would be a story worth telling, that is the kind of story I want my existence to recount. I don't want this tale to be about me, but about a life that mirrored Christ's, serving and loving. High expectations, huh? And so many obstacles to bar my way. I think MY biggest obstacle is myself, and how incredibly selfish and self-centered I can be. I need to daily step back, look at the big picture, and remember that in the grand scheme of things, I am rather minute.
Since we are also supposed to compose poems inspired by our observations...here goes:
The Story You Tell
Everyone has a story.
A vision for life,
A statement.
Do you know
What you want?
A life template, a timeline,
Mapping out
Who
You want to be?
Rich
Poor
Happy
Known
Making a life for yourself,
Or
Creating a life for others.
What is the story you want to tell?
The good story’s most perilous enemy
Is not evil deeds or sinful thoughts
But not knowing what you want
Or who you wish to be.
This is the longest post ever, because I still have a third daily observation to relay. In class, our teacher (Alba Newmann Holmes) said one thing we could focus on is light, if we wished. I didn't think I would end up actually focusing on this, but I noticed some neat lights that inspired (hopefully) interesting lines. I was sitting in a chapel on campus for the Cru meeting and noticed the light fixtures and the shadows they cast. As a photographer these intrigued me (I wish I had pictures...) and then I remembered what Alba said in class. Here's the poem I wrote in response (I apologize for how horrible my poetry is, hopefully my poetry class will improve it):
Lights will guide us
Lights to carry us Home.
A common theme,
A common dream.
Lights surround us,
Leading, or
Leaving
Us cloaked in darkness.
Exit signs glow
Green and Red
Escape from unwanted places.
Golden flowers silhouetted in sun-light,
Dark middles winking.
Golden flowers silhouetted in sun-light,
Dark middles winking.
City-lights twinkle, a land that never sleeps
Shadows from ancient lights
Darkness cascading down cracked walls.
Stars glow, like glitter in the open sky
Freedom, overwhelming. We feel
So small.
And a solitary window Light
Calling, us Home
The End! I'll post later about my Friday observations.
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