It is easy these days to feel like you are being trampled under the weight and speed of daily life. It is a grind. It is repetitious. Many times the negatives are easier to focus on than the positives. The mailman must hate you because all he brings are bills and junk mail. Combining all of the things that bring you down can hinder any and all relationships that you have built.
Sometimes it is necessary to take a step back, a moment unto ourselves, to remind us of the good around us that we cannot always focus on. I swear my son is the seed of the Devil, yet when he says that he loves me the stress level drops a tad. Turn on the news to hear of our troops dying. Turn off the news to remind yourself that those same troops are the reason we are free to blog. The economy is in the tank (I would like to extend a hearty bi-partisan Thank you to politicians), yet when I know that my St. Louis Cardinals are still in the pennant race it all feels better for nine innings.
Sometimes I think that the only truly free people in this country are in prison with life sentences. They have nothing left to lose and don’t face the risk of losing liberty if they act criminally again.
Last weekend I took a step back, my moment to myself. The relief was needed. Yes, my bald dome is as red as a vine-ripened tomato, but the pain is a small price to pay for bliss. I went to an air show over Lake Michigan. I revived my identity as a veteran and an American. The grace and beauty of F-18’s and the Thunderbirds flying overhead sent chills down my spine. When the B1-B bomber flew over, I was immediately grateful for the fact that I was not a Taliban member. They never get to see them up close and then tell stories about it later on.
Every mile I drove towards home put me one mile closer to the grind of life, the repetition, and the feeling of being buried alive. The opportunity to stare into the sky and dream allowed me to help regain my focus on the good things in life: relationships, my upcoming graduation, job prospects, and most importantly myself.
