IDEAS, REALITY, AND POSSIBILITIES

     

As my time in the Poconos continues, I have reached a conclusion that being in a different place, especially one in a natural setting, is one way to stimulate new ideas. But there is an old saying—at least I think it’s old—that goes “some things are a better idea than a reality.” I have to remind myself of all the ideas I’ve had through the years of my life that didn’t turn out to be realities because I didn’t do anything about them. Perhaps it was for the best, but I will never know for sure.

        The point is that our imaginations aren’t interested in limitations or excuses. They just come up with possibilities for improving or enhancing our lives. The inspiration they provide, however, is usually short-lived. A couple of days or a couple of weeks later, they fade into that Never-Never-Land called “What-Might-Have-Been.”

        While I’m up here, my brain has been doing some archaeological work, digging down deep into my psyche, searching for some of the old ideas I’ve had through the years, trying to see what and if any can be revived—brought back to life—made anew for the living of these days. And also, trying to give birth to fresh aspirations that might be realistic at the age of 74.

        I don’t feel particularly desperate about it, but I will say that all of us are given X-number of years to walk in this world—some longer, some shorter—and it would be a sad thing that, if when we pass from this existence to another, we look back in the rear view mirror of our lives, and slap our forehead and say, “I coulda had a V8” (if your remember that commercial.) And for whatever reason, more and more, I think about that. The trick, of course, is to be able to differentiate between pipe dreams and genuine possibilities.

        When I was a teenager, I thought about becoming a rock-and-roll star, the likes of Rick Nelson or Elvis Presley. I learned their songs among others and had a band and we played gigs at high school dances, at the Burlington County Farm Fair, and even in one of the big hotels in Atlantic City. To tell you the truth, for a while in my young mind and heart, it seemed like such a dream could actually happen. Well, obviously, it didn’t. And for a very good reason: it wasn’t meant to be. Of course, another good reason is that we simply weren’t as good as we imagined ourselves to be. i.e.-pipe dream

        On the other hand, there was no harm in that. It was part of my growing up and learning about the nature of life and, that if some dreams don’t come true, there are others just waiting to be invited into your reality, and we don’t know which ones are meant to be.  

        I suppose that my point in saying all this is that as we walk this planet, I’m thinking that we shouldn’t be afraid to allow our imaginations to give us new ideas worthy of trying. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something big and wondrous. It might be as simple as imagining ourselves to be filled with a calm, peaceful spirit or to have a new positive outlook on life or to finally achieve that place of open-mindedness that allows to grow in understanding & compassion for others or to put things behind us that don’t matter anymore or even to take up something new that we've always wanted to do. Pipe dream? Or Reality? I guess it depends, at least partially, on whether we do anything about it.