I hope you enjoy this bit of an exchange I had with a dear friend from a year and a half ago. It's my response to a message that was sent to me, and though I'd love to post the whole conversation, I feel uncomfortable posting someone else's message without their permission. I think it might still be interesting, regardless of its missing half. To give a bit of context, consider this message an argument in favor of taking a risk with a new person. Consider it an honest account of the degree to which falling in love can change one's plans, and consider it a challenge to change oneself when faced with an unexpected opportunity without knowing whether the outcome will be for better or for worse.
I have not edited this message at all. It appears to you exactly as it was written a year and a half ago.
The pendulum of life moves at a constant, steady pace. You go in with a plan. You have the answers to the questions who?, what?, where?, why?, and you’re confident, and you’re prepared. You have a vision of where the situation is going, of how you’re going to get to point B, and how long the trip is going to take. You’re in complete control of your pendulum and life is good.
Suddenly, the pendulum stops swinging smoothly. Despite all of your planning and preparation, there you are, suddenly, unannounced, at point C - somewhere you never imagined that pendulum could take you. How can a pendulum that swings from points A to B get me here? You’re frantic, without a plan, scared even because you have no clue how you got here. Some place, some thing, or some one has made it so that you are completely out of your element. What do you do?
You enjoy the change of scenery. You embrace the unknown. After all, whatever thing or place or person was strong enough to defy the pendulum that you’ve had going, must be worth investigating. You go along without a plan, for longer than you’ve ever been without a plan before. It’s stressful, different, but you like point C. Maybe you don’t quite know why, but you like it... a lot. So much that you’re going to make a new plan, build a new pendulum. One that starts at point C, and travels slowly and steadily to point D. You ask once again, who?, what?, where?, why?. Maybe the place or thing or person that brought you to point C can help you find those answers.
Or, You jump of, and You slowly make your way back to pendulum AB, where all is safe and planned out and you’re in control. Things are once again at your speed, and you can be rest assured you’re making a good decision for yourself. You’ve been to point C, and you’ve experienced something new, so now you can go back to point A and B. You’re not really missing out, then, right?
What you miss out on is not point A, B, or C... it’s point D. It’s the point you never planned for. The other side of the pendulum. Maybe it’s scarier than C, or maybe it’s awesome.
Life is not a single pendulum, it’s multiple pendulums.
I have not edited this message at all. It appears to you exactly as it was written a year and a half ago.
The pendulum of life moves at a constant, steady pace. You go in with a plan. You have the answers to the questions who?, what?, where?, why?, and you’re confident, and you’re prepared. You have a vision of where the situation is going, of how you’re going to get to point B, and how long the trip is going to take. You’re in complete control of your pendulum and life is good.
Suddenly, the pendulum stops swinging smoothly. Despite all of your planning and preparation, there you are, suddenly, unannounced, at point C - somewhere you never imagined that pendulum could take you. How can a pendulum that swings from points A to B get me here? You’re frantic, without a plan, scared even because you have no clue how you got here. Some place, some thing, or some one has made it so that you are completely out of your element. What do you do?
You enjoy the change of scenery. You embrace the unknown. After all, whatever thing or place or person was strong enough to defy the pendulum that you’ve had going, must be worth investigating. You go along without a plan, for longer than you’ve ever been without a plan before. It’s stressful, different, but you like point C. Maybe you don’t quite know why, but you like it... a lot. So much that you’re going to make a new plan, build a new pendulum. One that starts at point C, and travels slowly and steadily to point D. You ask once again, who?, what?, where?, why?. Maybe the place or thing or person that brought you to point C can help you find those answers.
Or, You jump of, and You slowly make your way back to pendulum AB, where all is safe and planned out and you’re in control. Things are once again at your speed, and you can be rest assured you’re making a good decision for yourself. You’ve been to point C, and you’ve experienced something new, so now you can go back to point A and B. You’re not really missing out, then, right?
What you miss out on is not point A, B, or C... it’s point D. It’s the point you never planned for. The other side of the pendulum. Maybe it’s scarier than C, or maybe it’s awesome.
Life is not a single pendulum, it’s multiple pendulums.
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