We were dreamers. We woke up. Wake up, Plaat. You’re not a boy anymore. You’re a man.
Early in my college career, I wrote a paper titled “Wake Up” detailing the life[style] of my fraternity experience. Thinking about it, I cannot help but wonder what it was that led me to do the things I did, with the people I did, and to the people who loved me. Those years of my life will never be reclaimed. However, I begin to wonder if it was really a mistake. Did they craft me into the person I am today? Doing the things others could only imagine…a gift or a rebellious curse? The question thickens when you begin to apply it to a successful career and life adventures; living a life others could only wonder about, a curse or blessing?
Mark recently asked “Where is it that we switched off the track of normal life into an expanded consciousness and (relative) maturity?” With him leaving, I’ve never felt such an urge to grow up and finally step into the real world, grabbing it by the horns and taking no prisoners. That being said, we must also leave no survivors to those that stand in our way. Perhaps I am wrong in this thinking. As I have spent several years working on my own, it’s dawned on me that you cannot be a nice guy and succeed. Do not mistake me! This is not to say that you cannot be ethical, walk in integrity, or be fair. I have always held onto these things. However, one must understand they have a worth that must be protected, cherished, and fight for.
“Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man’s values, it has to be earned.”
There have been moments in life where it did not feel that there was anything to be proud of, as I was getting kicked to the ground by poor situations, people, and feelings. However, as the dust is being brushed off, the blood being spit away, and the knuckles crack, it feels good to stand, once again, in the arena. I will be champion.
With God, all things are possible. I think it’s time that verse was put to use.
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