Thank You, Nicolas Cage



Pick Up Sticks in Motion



So, life is going along pretty well. I have a roof over my head, amazing friends, and a great family. I have a nice haircut. Most nights, I sleep well. I have time to exercise, although I don't always. I often feel productive but not too stressed. There are things that could be better, sure. There are things, significant things, missing from this picture, it's true. But should I upset the apple cart?

Um, yes. Regrettably, yes.

I don't want to change things...except that I do. It's time, because I think I've moved from being grateful for my circumstances to guarding them too much. It's one thing to hold things dear, and another thing to build a wall around them. It's the difference between wearing a beautiful necklace and feeling more beautiful because of it, and wearing a beautiful necklace and constantly checking the clasp to make sure it's secure.

While I'm aware things need to change, I'm not sure what happens next. I know it involves taking chances. And I know taking chances means possibly making a huge mess of my life and regretting my choices.

At times like these, I need courage. I need to sustain a sense of urgency and direction long enough start something new. Maybe vintage Springsteen will inspire. Or, perhaps the following words of wisdom will get me started:

"Many people die with their music still in them. Too often it is because they are getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out." --Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live." --Nicholas de Chamfort

Great ideas. Good reminders. But what I really find myself thinking about are these immortal words uttered by Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck:

"We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die."

That makes me laugh, and that makes the idea of taking chances much less holy (and therefore less scary). So, thank you Nicolas Cage. (Actually, thank you Moonstruck writer, John Patrick Shanley.) Thanks for reminding me that screwing up is The Way. It's human. And that's enough to get me started.