Good grief, Friday the 13th. But more good grief-making, I am 20 days from my half-century birthday. Time to wax philosophically or something. We’ll start with a regret.
Ever seen the movie The Neverending Story? There’s a line in the movie that every time I hear it, a twinge of life choice remorse floats through my brain. When beseeched to help the world of Fantasia by believing he is a part of the story, a part of the creative process, and giving the world’s empress a new name, the main character says, “But, I can’t! I have to keep my feet on the ground!” It seemed expected of me to pursue a solidly helpful education and I got the very distinct impression that a degree in some liberal arts program was not the way to go. With not enough pull in one direction or another that was “solid” and not enough courage to speak up and follow my heart, I floundered. I received my two-year degree from the mishmash of courses I had taken, but not in a specific discipline. But, hey, the program was classified in the liberal arts category, so I sort of won the battle, but not the war. Without the courses specific to the programs I would have preferred to take (English/Journalism), pursuing careers even remotely associated with them became near impossible, and continuing on to get said degree is a luxury I can't afford.
That’s what I got for keeping my feet on the ground. The kid in the movie didn’t and he got to ride a dragon and make his bullying enemies dive for cover. Unrealistic? Perhaps. Still, there’s something to be said for letting go and latching onto a loftier ambition.
Try it.
