The above video is just awesome. And a little inspiring on the same thread as the rest of this post.
I spent a good chunk of today at a funeral. Someone close to me, and close to people close to me, died recently in tragic fashion. As I sat there, isolated from everyone I knew as loved one after loved one got up to talk about this person, I got to thinking. Selfishly, it wasn't about the man for whom I was there to pay homage, but about myself. I know, add it to the list.
Well, I realized something: I want to live a spectacular life. What do I want people to say about me when I pass? I want them to say "That guy really lived!" And maybe, if I'm lucky, they'll then shake their heads and add, "And what a way to go!"
You see, I'm no activist. I don't need to change the whole world. I don't feel particularly driven to right the wrongs of society or champion the underdog. My only legacy, at least the only one that matters to me, is in the few dozen loved ones that will miss me when I'm gone. Okay, a 'few dozen might' be a little generous. I don't want to be the guy that was always working and always tired. I don't want my kids to say I yelled to much or didn't play with them enough. I don't want my wife to say that I wasn't there for her, attentive enough, or loving enough. I want to revel in the successes of those around me as much or more than my own. I want to risk much and enjoy the failure as much as the win. I want to really learn how to play the guitar.
The man who we honored to day was a man who excelled at living. He had some demons that overcame him, which is what led us to today. But while he was alive, that man lived. I wish I had taken notes, or a lesson or two, when I had the chance.
I have no excuse for mediocrity. I wasn't born for it, but I have never really forsaken it. There is a certain comfortableness in being average, in the middle ground. It's almost as though it's where we ought to be, as most people are. But...It's not for me. I want to learn to hate those words: Average. Mediocre. Normal. I want to be described as amazing, extraordinary, or spectacular. No longer will I mill about in the dismal ranks of the many. I shall push forward to the high ground, where footing isn't as firm, but the view is magnificent.
Come with me, if you dare.
