Most are keenly aware, of their own talents and passions. For many of us, those passions have to be put aside, at least somewhat, in order to live practically. Ask yourself, how many restaurant waiters are really actors, waiting for a break? How many employed in retail stores are songwriters or singers, or rap artists or composers?
There are millions of us, that fit those or similar descriptions. Of that multitude, some portion is still actively pursuing their goals. Others have become despondent, and have yet to return to them. Still others, have entered into a state of denial. Since they believe that their dreams aren't possible or desirable enough, they imagine that they are, or can be, someone else entirely.
Classic Movie Trailers: Tombstone (1993)
I'd really like to be a card player. I had a lot of fun years ago, playing poker with friends, and watching Hold 'em played professionally, really endeared me to the lifestyle. It's exciting, watching them make gutsy calls, for hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. I can't tell you how often I daydreamed about sitting there with them.
In reality, I'm not a card player at all, and I doubt I could ever be a serious one. The profession requires a firm grasp of mathematics, and I don't even have a loose grip. If I chose, I could dedicate myself to learning, what I should have picked up in higher education, but this would ultimately be an act of self-denial. I'm a writer, and an artist, and to deny that is to deny the world the scope of my abilities.
What I do, my gifts, are not necessarily practical or marketable. If I walked into a job placement firm, I would be considered an "unskilled worker", when just the opposite is true. Knowing this, I have often fallen into the traps of despondency and denial: the dream killers. But, like Popeye says, "I am what I am, and that's all that I am".
Popeye... What a brilliant philosopher he turned out to be. And, he's absolutely right. We can learn, and grow and become better people, but I believe that there's a part of the individual, an identity, that remains constant. We can try to change it, in pursuit of fame and fortune, but that's not what we really want. We want to be rewarded for being ourselves.
According to "Tombstone", Wyatt Earp was a born lawman. He was sincere though, in wanting to give up that life, and I can sympathize with that. Beyond the pursuit of financial reward, escaping the life of an officer is to escape the dangers, and the ever-present responsibility, that I'm sure can be tiresome. In the end however, the journey back to ourselves is inevitable.
Being who we are, that's another responsibility and it would be detrimental to us, to try to avoid it. Whether our chosen path, leads to the life of a pauper or a prince, the path is what it is. We can try and turn from that path, but we would defeat ourselves, regardless of the outcome. Please keep in mind, and take this from my writing if you take nothing else: there is no clear path to success, no matter what you choose to do.
So knowing that, and taking that into account, wouldn't you rather enjoy the ride?
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@ChannelSeals
@ChannelSeals
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