I've been a terrible slacker these last few days. I wasn't intentionally putting off my blogging, but it just didn't really cross my mind. I don't exactly remember how many posts that I am supposed to have, but I'm just going to hope that I have around the right number. This project isn't about the grade for me, it's about the impact that it has on my life. It really has helped me to better see that working on something big a little at a time gets things done. I always knew that, but I had never really put it into action in my life. The project came at just the right time, too, because it honestly helped me to get going on my college applications. Overall, it honestly helps me to feel better about myself and what I accomplish in my life.
Today I had the day off from school, which was a beautiful thing. I spent so much of the day waiting. I woke up and waited to get ready to go. I waited in line at the Secretary of State, got some paperwork, and then waited in another line at SOS. I turned in all my paperwork to get my license, then waited for the guy to put all of the information into the computer. I waited for him to hand me my temporary paper license, waited to get my picture taken. I waited in the car for my phone to find a nearby Panera, waited to order at Panera, and waited to get my food. I went to my fellow captain's house to work on paper plate awards. I waited for her to finish spackleing so we could get started and then we both waited for brilliant award ideas to come to us. I came home and waited to read my book, waited for dinner, waited until I had some time to just sit down and enjoy the day. I'm waiting for some secret package that my dad ordered for me. I spent the whole day waiting to be able to drive somewhere by myself and I have a feeling I won't get a chance to do that today. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Funny enough, but all of that waiting can get tiresome.
Even though I spent quite a bit of time waiting today, I did make sure to accomplish things. I woke up, ate, showered. I filled out paperwork, smiled for my picture, got my licence. I ordered and ate Panera, I spackled a wall. I thought of, designed, and decorated paper plate award after endless paper plate award. I read a tiny bit. I teased my sister, I rode my bike to Kroger and bought a bag of fritos. I ate dinner, I'm writing this blog post. And although this list is a lot shorter than my waiting list, it consists of things that took a lot longer than the waiting did. I got things accomplished today, despite my waiting.
People spend a lot of time waiting. They wait in lines at stores, they wait to vote, they wait on their chores. They wait for their problems to be solved and their lives to be bettered. People spend too much time waiting. They go without acting when action is necessary. They ignore the role they have in moving things forward in their lives, the role they have in bettering themselves and the world.
Waiting is necessary to some extent. It's true that we cannot spend our lives without waiting. We shouldn't spend our lives rushing past things so that we don't have to wait. However, we wait too much. People need to look at what their waiting on - to really look - and see if there is anything they can do to move their lives forward. We are here not to be idle, but to go on.
It can be said that one who can wait patiently has mastered her angst and can sit quietly with a passive, though not inactive mind. Not an easy balance, I admit. More then once in my life, have been asked if I would prefer a life of serenity or a life of passion. While I lean toward serenity, I loved me some passion as well. Passion is the mountain that exhilarates mind and body, and it provides balance for the valley below, with fields of swaying grain, placid pools of rainwater throwing the sun's light back at him. Life is sometimes the peaceful valley and the vigorous mountain leaps up before us unannounced.
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