perpetuity palimpsest

Their is something truly unique about viewing life through words on a page; regardless of the uniqueness of words used it is one-dimensional. Such a vast amount of knowledge can be conveyed through words on a page; but experience isn't something that's consumed and understood by merely being a bystander. I have always been intrigued by the term 'innocent bystander.' Something about the fact that the bystander needs the term 'innocent' attached; as if they did anything to help, which in reality should make them more guilty than innocent.

I love to write and will always feel its fleeting pleasure in my fingertips when truly engaged in it; but I could never absorb that splendor with the mere-thought of writing. It is in the action itself that I'm captivated and peacefully-discombobulated. I don't doubt that one can learn immeasurably prominent things through attaining knowledge from words on a page; but it's in the experiential form that such is tried and proven/or disproved. So, what I am saying in short is that when you read someones writings whether terrible or beautiful, put them to the test in the bank of your memory and in the sweat off your brow.

I had a friend in college who was one of the most insanely talented musicians I've ever met. The guy was also all around brilliant and understood people so thoroughly it was often times intimidating. A phenomenal listener. A great speaker. Just watching this man live life was an adventure; his words, his candor, his lighthearted attitude. But, if their was one thing that stood out above all other things to me was his writing. Not the quality, nor the quantity, but more so the method. He would, in the ancient fashion of a palimpsest, write and then rewrite every single paper. Never to my knowledge in the four-years that I attended college with this guy did he turn his original paper in; it wasn't a modified version, it was a completely different paper, every time.

So, I can see you scratching your heads, asking how that makes any difference whatsoever. It was never about the paper; it was always about the discipline. The amount of work that went into the 1st paper was the same amount that went into the 2nd; both "A" quality pieces of work. Nothing was done nonchalantly; he wasn't lackadaisical in his approach to writing because he had created a discipline in life of not being casual about life, in general. It was habitual as was everything else he did. Paying such close attention to the minute details of life helped him to understand the necessity of doing all things to perfection and encouraged a consistent-strive towards excellency in all things; even menial college papers.

I've discovered in the past year that their is an insurmountable amount of freedom found in discipline. I understand how paradoxical that sounds, but nothing is truer. When your life is lived under discipline you free up those areas of the unknown and place them categorically into your life in the appropriate places. For instance, healthy living. I've realized in the past four months that my health had been casually swept aside for years and was in dire need of maintenance; so, to the front of the line it goes. It's as if discipline has a way of prioritizing things on it's own, all we need do is activate it and hand over the reigns.

It's been said, "anything worth doing is worth doing well...." The reason I felt inclined to write this blog is to encourage those of you who may get caught in the monotonous and mundane life that we often times have created for ourselves through a desire for normalcy. However, in reality, their is not one of us who want to live a boring and unimportant life; so, take the life you have and make it great. It's not too late. It isn't too late to pursue your personal best in all areas of life. You haven't crossed the threshold of fixture; you can still find that excellency you've sought after. Not perfection, but excellence. One thing I've been told a lot in my life and will always hold close to my heart is this: "Tough times don't last...but tough people do..."