Roam baby, roam.
I learned about a Friend, my age, too young. I heard about his death, yesterday. And today, the first day of a New Year, I’m writing, beginning something new. My Friend, lost Friend, let this, new thing, be a Tribute - to your life. I write in tribute to you lost Friend, and Others, People We Loved, still love, gone, but never forgotten.
Have you ever dreamed of living a different life?
Have you ever asked yourself, what MIGHT I do (different) with the skills I possess, my resources (money, stuff)? And more importantly, have you ever looked into the mirror (in your mind) and wondered - if I could do anything, start over, begin again, take a different road… If I could change, make a BIG change, how would I like to spend the rest of my limited / precious time?
These thoughts, these questions, they’ve long run through my mind.
I’ve never been one to accept limitations, follow the herd, think small. I’ve long held onto a maxim - If I can’t find what I want (what I need) HERE, then I will search and see if I might find THAT thing (what I want / need) over there, somewhere else, at the very least, work it, look.
Seek and ye shall find. (Credit - Matthew 7:7, Bible, so sayeth The Lord.) And then, if you can’t find what you want, over there, anywhere, well then CREATE it, make it so, build it, write it, say it, DO IT.
I Believe, so many, of life’s limitations, they exist (only) in our minds. Many of us grow up being TOLD and then we grow older, old and we TELL ourselves / others what we / they can and can not do. We build walls in our minds. We box ourselves in. We look around us, at what we see - every blessed day, what we listen too, we listen to with repetition, we come to believe, we parrot, we follow. We do, we just do, we do what everyone else does. We DO without thought.
We are called to follow and so we do. We follow. Two point three children, a nice house in the burbs, two cars, a job, a mortgage, credit cards… bucket list (I despise that term) check, check, check. That is what we are told we should do. And so we follow. We do.
Little pink houses for you and me (John Mellencamp). We keep up with Joneses, we follow the norms (The Norms?). The Norms, like “The Bobs” in the movie Office Space. Get it? There they go, see them? Follow them. Who, The Norms? Yes, follow - The Norms. Follow The Norms. (“The Norms”, I think that’s funny. Do you think that’s funny? No matter. I digress.)
Well my Friends, 2020 gave us lots of time, too much time, for thought / for thinking. 2021, I don’t expect this. But 2021, would you please be quick out of the gate. 2021, New Year, year of Hope. P-l-e-a-s-e 2021, we want ACTION, movement. Would you please allow us some forward progress, a little freedom, with a little more safety? Pretty please 2021. Pretty please with chocolate sauce on top...
And to finally, to get ON POINT, to the point, a point, any point... what we’re looking to do, what we want to do, with OUR precious time, is to explore the possibility of living a different life. And maybe, if we get THERE, to this - different life, maybe it will amount to nothing, a full circle, coming home and appreciating what we already have. Appreciate our status quo more. (Well, if only that, THAT, that would not be “nothing”. That would be good too. That would be SOMETHING.)
But to explore, actively, to explore - options, put ourselves - OUT THERE, actively. To try something different. To NOT have to come to the end, an end, our end, and wonder. What IF I had tried THAT?
What we’re looking to do, what we’re considering, we’re thinking about doing what our ancestors DID. Leave “The Norms” behind. Pick up. GO. Somewhere else. Learn a new language, eat different food, drink different wine, live different lives.
There is no perfect. But why not seek different, try something, other? Chase a dream. Time is short. Try living a dream. Why not?
We invite you to please, join us. Create your own dream, or come with us, be part of ours. It’s all good.
Free your mind, the rest will follow. Roam baby, roam.
#FutureEXPAT