67 Freedom from Expression

As I sit here pondering my next move(bow hunt or blog), it looks like it will be blogging then hunting. I notice that many of us get into situations that, for the sake of argument, I will call "getting into a rut". Facebook friend Donna has called it " putting up fences" for ourselves. Whatever you want to call it, it is both fascinating and frustrating.

We dive into life after our school days are over and most of us begin a career, maybe not in the same company, but mostly the same field. Over time, some of you may lose a job and you sit and wonder what's next. Where can I go now? How can I move on? What will I do? All valid questions, but often they are surrounded by the limitations that you impose on yourself. You may already have a home and family and your mind limits you to a job within a reasonable driving distance or a certain type of company. You have limited yourself because you are afraid of upsetting your family, you may not want to sell your home and move, you dont want to or are afraid to start another line of work or you are just plain afraid and dont really know what you're afraid of.

My fascination has always been the "why?" of being afraid of these things. Love and respect of my wife has kept me from dropping everything on more than one occasion and rejoining the military. I am not afraid of it. I would have no qualms about selling most of what we own and leaving, I just dont think that something so drastic should be one-sided in the relationship. Now if she was ok with it, well, we'd have been gone long ago. I never understood the fear of the unknown as far as work or life-choices go. I like going new places, meeting new people and trying new things. I know you may look at selling a house(for the sake of argument--maybe it was half or more paid for?) as something that is taboo, but I think the other side of it is the adventure, the change itself. Kids are resilient, they can get over or past anything like being uprooted and finding new friends, I think after school tv and teen angst movies have caused a negative perception of starting over. As always, I have to say that I'm sure not every move is going to be wine and roses. I just think that real life is too often mixed and stirred by the spoon of Hollyweird.

You should do what you have to in that situation, making as little compromise as you have to. Dont let your fear keep you from being happy. Dont settle for something that could keep your family happy in the long-term because you are too afraid to discuss it and implement the change. As always, this is but one example. There are myriad situations that people throw up walls and cannot find their way around them.

That same fear keeps us from asking out a girl/guy, it prevents ideas from being implemented at work and even keeps us from looking for cheaper car insurance. Seriously. I know people that were afraid they would hurt the agent that they were with so instead of seriously reducing their rates at a big-name company, they paid over-priced premiums for years. On one hand it was noble not wanting to hurt the small-businessman, but on the other hand the fear of offending someone cost them money that could have been better spent somewhere else.

What kind of walls did Amelia Earhart have? What kind did Albert Einstein have? What kind did any person that ever tried something new or adventurous have? We all do it, it's just a question of when. Is it something that will cost us, hurt us or set us back? Is it something that will stagnate us and keep us in a pit of despair, wallowing in pity and never realizing why?

Make your choices and own them. Just dont make choices that are based on the "conventional" methods of thinking if it is going to wind up causing you and yours needless suffering.

I know this was a short rant, but I have a Christmas cookie calling my name and I have a snowstorm to watch. Damned walls. Need more windows.