Wednesday, July 2, 2014

365 Days Later: When Life Gives You Lemons Make Tanks of Lemonade

Wednesday, July 2, 2014


I began writing my blog one year ago.  My life has changed tremendously.  I am in a much stronger position to take care of myself than I was a year ago.  And yet I struggle to remain optimistic that I will fulfill my biggest dreams for myself.  Why?  Because there are forces larger than any one person that are at work in the world.  These forces can be called a variety of things including globalization, climate change and the like.  While the terms are important the consequences of these forces are at least as important.  I'd like to believe I live in a nation that has a future.  But I find that difficult to believe.  The glorification of stupidity seems to be growing in this nation.  Perhaps you could call it a race to the bottom.  What is my Exhibit A?  My own life.

I am currently working a job that effectively uses no skills I didn't already have when I graduated high school.  Some would see that as pathetic.  Others might see it as necessary to simply get by in an economy still hobbled by a financial crisis which hit nearly six years ago.  Sometimes I have wished I could meet the individual people who were responsible for precipitating the crisis.  Their irresponsible conduct touched the lives of millions of people far and wide.  Some people walk around in the world not really clearly understanding the consequences of their behavior.  I prefer not to cross paths with such people.  They inevitably leave wreckage in their wake.  These are the types of people who look down at their cell phones while driving.  Such people condemn and humiliate the poor and homeless without taking any time to understand the circumstances that may have led people to endure such hardship.  Some people discriminate against others and then have the gall to wonder why others of the same background would despise them for their prejudice.

So when life gives you lemonades you effectively have two choices.  You can bemoan your fate and hurl the unwanted lemons away or you can find a use for them.  The wise, mature person will attempt to find the good in what appears to be ugly.  'Surely there must be something redeemable in this situation' such a person will think.  I am trying to be a wise, mature person.  It's difficult, though, when so many people who have no healthy concept of their impact on the world cross your path early in life. It's easy to be cynical.  It's easy to express the sourness in a lemon rather than transmute it into something sweet like lemonade.

Compared against July 2nd of last year my life is absolutely fabulous.  My musculoskeletal system is functioning well.  I am even healthy enough to potentially contemplate playing sports...though I would do so just for fun.  I do a variety of activities at the YMCA including boxing, swimming and rowing.  I am no longer Vitamin D deficient.  And most important, I am no longer still subtly impacted by the trauma of decades ago.  I suppose you could say I am actively grieving.  Some days I am more active than others.  On other days I just want to sit, do nothing and look at a beautiful summer sky.  Some days I want to be the carefree eight year old boy I wish I could have been.  But at the age of eight I was not carefree.  I was worried.  I was deeply worried.

I have become a freelance trauma recovery advocate.  I have written about my own journey for a year now.  And I plan to continue doing so.  It's nice to see it inspires some people.


Mahalo,

Christian

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I invite you to accompany me as I document my own journey of healing. My blog is designed to offer inspiration and solace to others. If you find it of value I welcome you to share it with others. Aloha!