Courage

Sometimes it's interesting to sit back and take an objective look at life, to remove myself from the emotions and just observe.

I was sitting at the car wash last week waiting for my vehicle to be serviced, when the old woman sitting in the chair beside me started a conversation. She was 79 years old, and looked remarkable for her age. In the course of my 30 minute wait, this lady shared with me a great deal about her life. I learned about her background, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She told me about her husband, his career, the different homes and the places they'd lived. She talked about her faith, the aging process, and her perspective on life and how blessed she felt. It was amazing all of the things I learned about this stranger while I was sitting there waiting!

I love meeting new people and having friends from all walks of life because I get to hear so many interesting stories. I like learning about what makes people "tick"- what inspires them, shapes them, and challenges them. I like hearing about people's triumphs and how they arrived at them, their struggles and how they overcame them, their thoughts and how they process them, and why people make the decisions that they do.

From the rich I've learned about luxury, material things, travel, and fame. From the poor I've learned about hardship, adventure, and the simple things in life.

Although everyone has a different story to tell, the elements of what creates meaning in life are all the same: happiness, sadness, joy, fear, love, pain. While a person's wealth, education, career, social status, relationships and background help paint the picture, they don't eliminate or replace any of the elements that really determine the experience of life. (For example, it's not the expensive sports car that impacts a rich man's life, it's the joy he feels when he's driving it. The same feeling of joy may be felt by a poor fisherman who catches a really big fish.)

What I've concluded is that it's not the circumstances, it's the attitude that a person assumes while weathering the elements, and the subsequent actions they take as a result that determine the quality and meaning of life. For example, a person may loose their job and focus on the loss and assume an attitude of defeat which results in pain, a downward spiral of feelings and actions (drama), and a negative life experience (baggage). Or they can take the same circumstances and choose an attitude of courage, which opens up new possibilities, which leads to a positive life experience.

Therefore, I think that every person is responsible for their own happiness, no matter what life throws at them. In my opinion, the best stories are those where a person refuses to be a victim of their circumstances, and gets off their butt and turns things around. The determining factor between a good and bad is the amount of courage a person has.

A Country Girl A Heart

I had been writing blogs on myspace for the past couple of months, but a friend suggested I try writing on an actual blog site, so here goes!

This weekend my friend, Shane, took me riding up to Lake Livingston. I've been on dirt bikes in the past, but this was the first time I've ever been on a trip on a motorcycle. We rode on a Harley-Davidson touring bike. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a very comfortable ride. Riding on the bike gave me the sense of being a part of nature. While most vehicles block out the environment, on the bike I could feel the wind against my body, and smell and hear the world around me. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. It was awesome!

In Livingston we met up with Shane's dad, brother and his girlfriend. We had a good time hanging out, playing horseshoes, talking and laughing. Later we went back to the dad's house and roasted marshmallows over the bonfire, and ate gooey brownies. Yummy!

Spending the day out there made me realize how much I miss the country! I spent about half of my childhood living in a small town, and the other half living in the city. I would spend most of my summers at the ranch or on the beach in Mexico, or visiting friends in small towns. While the city has conveniences (movie theaters, malls, restaurants), there is nothing like the simplicity of small town living.

Looking back, the best parts of growing up were spent in the country. Picking fresh apples in the orchards, riding 4-wheelers, chasing chicks around the pen, target practicing in the desert, fishing, hiking, camping, swimming at the lake, building bonfires with friends, spending time with family and friends.

I remember having a sense of such freedom in the country. While in the city I was kept on a rather tight leash, always having to let my parents know where I was, who I was with, when I would be back, etc. The country seemed to have a lenitive affect on my parents. I guess since in small towns everyone knows everyone, they felt like it was a safer environment, so our parents gave us the freedom to come and go as we pleased.

Remembering the joys I had growing up in the country, it makes me sad that I live in the city and that my kids are missing out on the experiences I had! Well, who knows, perhaps someday after I finish school I can open up a practice in a small town, or I can buy a ranch house to spend the weekends at. I would gladly trade the convienieces and business of city living for the comforts and simplicity of small town life.