…or it’s an adventure (or a “love adventure”?) Or perhaps it’s a comedy? A dramedy? An inspirational story? A tragedy?
The truth is, it could be any one (or more) of these things.
And that’s why when people ask, “How is it going?” or “When are you going to stop?”, I don’t have an answer…yet.
Because I’m somewhere in a story (I don’t even know if I’m in the middle or towards the end) and I don’t know how it’s going to end. I don’t even know what kind of story it is.
If I find love, then this story could be a truly amazing love story (studios, I’m ready to sell you the movie rights!).
It’s entirely possible.
The story of a man with limited prospects on the path he was on, who refused to settle. Instead, he broke free and “gave up everything” to travel the country and experience life… and through an entirely unlikely series of events, that never would have happened otherwise, he met his match.
Wow. That would be cool. And, if or when that ever happens, then I will know what this story is about.
And you will all buy the book (well, the 60+% of my female followers will!) and see the movie (take your boyfriends!) and remember how, in that summer of 2010, you were there and a part of it. You made a difference.
But then, it could also be the story of a man who should have stayed on the path he was on. Someone who had a “decent” life who should have been happy with what he had. Someone who should have just sucked it up and stayed at his job, because it’s a job that people would kill for, and gone through the motions until “the end”.
He should have invested his savings in a house or some property, because that’s what normal people do, and simply settled for one of the mates that he got along with and “could live with”, rather than always searching for that elusive “match”.
Because we discover that there was no “match”. There was no missing piece to that puzzle.
And, this is sad, when the trip was over, there was no “happy ending”.
The truth is, it was all for naught.
Not only was there no romantic love interest, there was no sensible thread tying things together. There was no “book” (let alone an impossible to get “book deal” for someone who’s never written a book). Optimism doesn’t write books and a sense of adventure doesn’t make them interesting.
And the man’s savings? Gone.
His trip ended. And now embarrassed (for having made a spectacle of something that led to nothing), he was not only still single & alone, he was now also broke.
What a zero!
So he accepts a menial job, because that’s all he could get and, save for a brief burst of glory in the summer of 2010, he’s forced to live a mundane existence until “the end”.
Wow, that’s depressing. I don’t like that story.
I also don’t believe it — not one bit. (Optimist. Remember?)
But there are some who believe that’s the way it’s going to be and that I’m painting myself into a corner. But the truth is, I cannot predict the future. Neither can you (unless you’re a psychic — in which case, disregard). ;)
All I can do is attempt to write my own story as I go…but all I really have control over is me and this moment and every one that passes.
So anything’s possible. It always is. The “good” story above. The “bad” story below it.
All I know is, if I quit today, I would have no idea what to make of any of this. And that feels wrong. But how about a week from now? I don’t know. That depends entirely on what happens in the next week — and we’re not there yet. Every day brings new possibilities and prospects.
But I can imagine, as my resources dwindle (you all didn’t think I could do this forever did you?), that it is entirely possible that I will be forced to stop and that there will be no clear cut ending to this story.
It’ll be like I sold you all a book where, just when things were starting to get interesting, it ends…mid-chapter.
Now, some of you might be thinking, in response to the sad story above, “Well, you don’t really have to accept a “menial job”. Why not go get a job at a computer gaming company? You can always go back.”
Well, while I’m not opposed to it (some of the highlights of my life were during times I worked at computer gaming companies)… there is something completely depressing about, no matter how hard you try to break free from the path you’re life is on, that no matter what you do, you end up right back on the same path. Or worse, on a similar path with even fewer prospects.
I’m trying to prove the contrary.
- I want to prove (at least to myself) that it’s never too late to change the path your life is on and go after (and get!) what you want out of life.
- I want to prove that there is truth to the quote: “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful“. In fact, I’d like to prove that the majority of inspirational quotes about living a happy life, being successful, and taking chances are true and not just sentimental sayings intended to sell postcards & posters.
- I want to prove that an open-mind, a sense of adventure, ample amounts of optimism, and an unwavering determination to succeed are key parts of the equation.
- And I want to attract love – my “match”. And I’ll go further and say that when that happens (ok, not immediately, darlin’ — I know you’re reading this! ;) , I want to marry this amazing woman who shares my passion for life and I want to have remarkably well-behaved, genius children, and have a stable, loving, tight-knit family, with little drama, that stays together. And then I want to be the best dad & husband in the world.
That’s what I want out of this.
Yep, that’s it.
And the clock continues to tick, tick, tick…
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