I'm pretty much in limbo right now. Nothing of real importance is going on in life in general. Everything about me lies with being in the middle. It's the middle of the semester. It's the middle of making new friends since I'm a transfer student. It's in the between stage between finding out about the New York trip and actually going there. Lastly, it's the middle of life. I'm not new to college but not finished. I'm exploring who I want to be but have not established myself completely. I've passively searched but have not found my soul mate. Plus I am still alive. At this point, I can either succeed or fail in life.
In one of my classes this semester, my professor reveals a belief that the Greeks carried within their souls. "No one can truly know happiness until the end is know." Maybe, but wouldn't by that point make its meaning too late to be appreciated? Too much emphasis is placed on the beginning and end of anything, but, like for example, in writing, the writer's skill is shown through the middle details the piece of writing provides. Anybody can start a story by wanting to get to the store and the end getting there, but the flat tire or the bus full of hippies wanting to run the protagonists over is what the reader wants to dig its claws on.
Sometimes though, the middle gets ignored until the end arrives. For example, Michael Jackson's death made the press less focused on his masks and focused on the videos with Jackson 5, his Thriller album, and his talent as a musician. Eventually, someone will be touched by someone's middle details.
So instead of getting bored or stressed or frustrated, I'm gonna start enjoying the middle. How about you?
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You're right...life is process, and if we look for an end all the time, we'll miss life itself! This reminds me of a poem by Jason Lehman I think you'll appreciate:
ReplyDeleteIt was spring,
But it was summer I wanted.
The warm days,
And the great outdoors.
It was summer,
But it was autumn I wanted.
The colourful leaves,
And the cool, dry air.
It was autumn,
But it was winter I wanted.
The beautiful snow,
And the joy of the holiday season.
It was winter,
But it was spring I wanted.
The warmth
And the blossoming of nature.
I was a child,
But it was adulthood I wanted.
The freedom,
And the respect.
I was 20,
But it was 30 I wanted.
To be mature,
And sophisticated.
I was middle aged,
But it was 20 I wanted.
The youth,
And the free spirit.
I was retired,
But it was middle age I wanted.
The presence of mind,
Without limitations.
My life was over.
But I never got what I wanted.