Something more to learn.

Many months ago a friend of mine agreed to go on a date with a guy. Our mutual friend, with the opinion that she was not ready to date yet, responded to the news by saying,"Well, I guess there is something she needs to learn on her own." There are a hundred additional tidbits that would explain more of what was meant. But as usual, I took the opinion and filed it away, just in case it would one day apply to me.

I guess those of us that ignore good advice, ignore it because we do need to learn something on our own. We are determined to spend our precious time, money, and emotional energy fighting wisdom we could easily have enjoyed the protection of. Instead we expose ourselves to emotional stresses that uncover the un-dealt-with soft-spots in our personality.

Personally, I am in a position that could expose myself to so many those stresses. I am here because, by exposing myself, I take the vital chance of gaining some of the greatest desires of my heart. So many people are warning me of all the potential pitfalls and risks of this decision.

I am taking a remarkably different track though. Instead of predicting the future consequences that are based on flawed understandings of interpersonal relationships, I am sorting out what I am attending to by limiting myself to only dealing with the responsibilities and emotions present in any one moment. The difficulty with and the pleasure of anything is in the moment. So by doing this, I will suck the nectar out of every moment. The lessons will be learned, my weaknesses will be exposed, The pleasures will be splendid. The future will remain a blank canvas, to be painted when I get there...