In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: Good Tidings
Present-day you meets 10-years-ago you for coffee. Share with your younger self the most challenging thing, the most rewarding thing, and the most fun thing they have to look forward to.
geralt / Pixabay
The year is 2004. I’m sitting on the back patio sipping on a cup of Café Bustello. In my other hand, a lit cigarette creates billows of smoke. I have my attention on my surroundings, ready to grab the camera that sits nearby, should something inspiring need to be captured. My mind is wondering, what could this be about.
I had received a letter in the mailbox the other day. It didn’t have a return address and the sender was simply identified as “a close friend.” It stated they would be here, today, at this time. Apparently, the visit was to discuss my future.
Of course, I was intrigued. So much so, that I anxiously listened for the doorbell for the past 10 minutes. Then suddenly, I noticed a hand reach over the door to the privacy fence. I smiled, thinking to myself, they must have known I’d be back here.
In walked a man who seemed familiar. He looked like my father, but only cuter. Hey, wait a minute, that’s me, I thought to myself. Before I could say a word, I heard, don’t freak out. I’ve seen some weird shit in my life. You can blame it on an active third eye. So, I welcomed this image of my older self. He sat down beside me, without a word. I guess he knew I had to take it all in.
After a bit, I broke the silence. Well, you look good. Uh, I mean we, ..or, ..uh, I look good. Seems we, ..I lost some weight. Yes, I said to myself. I’ll tell you all about it, but first, I have a request. You want some coffee? I blurted out. Want a cigarette? Are you hungry? I chuckled at myself. No, I just need you to listen to what I have to say. Don’t speak, just listen. But, really listen. Don’t do that thing that you do, where you form a response. Just sit here and listen. Take it all in. Yes sir, I said a little sarcastically. I got it!
If there is one piece of advice I can give to you, it would be this. Be aware of your present moment. Take the time to notice what you’re feeling. Be aware of how your emotions can trigger your actions and reactions. Once you learn how to do this, you will be able to make choices of your own free will, and not as a response to your surroundings or circumstances.
I also want you to take a moment to realize the magnitude of this gift we’ve been given today. Our present moment is often shaped by the experiences we’ve had in the past. We’ve been given the opportunity to have our future shape our past. With this gift of today, we can create an awesome reality. Got that? Um, aha? Chuckles arise from both of my selves.
You are about to leave your job to pursue an education on a full time basis. Mark, will promise his support in this matter. However, things will change, tension between you two will grow. Eventually, you two will split. It won’t be a pretty breakup and I commend you for the way you handle things. My only concern is that you went back after a year of separation. Take a look at why you do this kind of thing. There’s a problem of not being able to let go of things that no longer serve a purpose in your life. You’ll find out what I mean when we shed this extra weight and you cannot rid your closet of clothes that no longer fit. Learn to let things go. The Universe cannot give you new and exciting things if you are holding on to the old.
There’s going to be a couple of years filled with challenging things. However, the most difficult one will occur in 2013. I don’t want to scare you, but, you’re going to have an accident that will take away a lot of your ability to do things. We don’t like to be vulnerable and dependent on others. We end up getting angry with ourselves and eventually fall into depression. Speaking from the present moment, I can tell you, don’t worry, it will be okay. You break free from the depression and begin to come alive again.
Creativity has always been the catalyst for moving you forward. You love to write, sing, and dance. In fact, dancing is how you began to lose weight. You just started dancing, in front of Nanny’s mirror, every day. It’s so awe inspiring to think that we used to dance in front of that same mirror as a child. Never let go of your creative outlets. In present moment, we might not be able to dance, but expressing ourselves through the written word has proven to be good medicine. Hey, we might even go back to church and start singing solos again. We just have to remember not to withdraw the gifts that we have been given.
After leaving your current job, you will take on several temporary positions. One of these positions will lead you to the most rewarding thing to occur in this ten year period. You will be led to work with people with disabilities.
Out of all of the classifications, you enjoy working with people who fall on the autistic spectrum the most. You’ll be able to understand them on some other level, because of the person that you are. You have a tendency to withdraw yourself from society because of your inability to communicate well in social gatherings. Small talk is just not your thing. People on the autistic spectrum are trapped inside themselves. In essence, they are withdrawn. Most of them have cognitive abilities well above average. They simply cannot express themselves effectively. Working with these people is going to be hard. You even get assaulted when one of them has a tantrum. However, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the light of understanding go off in their eyes when they finally understand what you’ve been working on for so long. The smile on their face burns an impression into your heart for all time.
This ten year period does not only consist of hard times and work. You’ll get to have some fun too. It all begins when you meet Rob.
You’ll speak to Rob, over the internet, for nearly two years before finally meeting in person. I won’t go into how that progresses, but some really good times evolve from your union. You’ll travel and get to go on your first cruise. You’ll meet a group of really close knit friends who welcome you in with open arms. You’ll learn a lot about fashion, popular culture and entertainment. You get to experience things that draw you out from your tortoise shell. You also gain a family who loves you and forgets you were not born into them.
Life is good my friend. Just take the time to stay aware, with eyes wide open. Then, you’ll always be able to count your blessings. Now, I will leave you, and return to the present moment. With me, I take my past revisited, which will help to create an awesome reality.
