Tuesday, 8 August 2017
Megan Harrod
This was my journal entry on 8 August, 2017. I was sitting up at Guardsman's Pass on the top of a mountain with a yellow and black-spotted butterfly companion, fluttering around my head, reminding me that transformation is beautiful and not to be feared.
We are not very different.
We share the same fears. A fear of losing freedom. A fear of settling down. A fear of reaching the end of the run.
But we share the same dreams, too. Dreams to cover new ground, explore spaces and places most only can imagine but not actually ever experience. Dreams to learn and create endlessly. Dreams to witness the sun rise over the mountains. Feel the crisp, fresh air on our faces. Notice the sparkle of the sun hitting a body of water.
We are not very different.
We worry that we'll lose who we are in someone else. We love, but we're afraid to be vulnerable. We wonder. We wonder about what tomorrow will bring. And we wander. Boy, do we ever wander. We roam into the woods and over mountaintops and through alpine lakes...and sometimes, aimlessly.
We live in the moment and, at times, we get stuck there. Too comfortable. Afraid to move forward. It's not really about growing up...it's about growing at all. We're afraid of growth. Because sometimes it's easier to live life small, where no one bothers us and there's little accountability. In this space, we can live our lives perpetually surprising people, which is a nice way to live. Always on the move without anyone to answer to or check in with.
But the thing is, it's not about that. It's not about checking in or asking for permission. It shouldn't be, anyway. It's about being an individual and meeting another individual who can positively challenge you to be an even better human—a brighter, sparklier light on this big spinning ball we call "home".
We are not very different.
We both value connection. We both have big hearts. We both care. We both are individuals. Individuals who hope, dream and fear.
No, honey, we really aren't very different.