It's all relative

One might look at my life – if I could lay it out up to today in a neat and traceable fashion – and judge it boring. They wouldn’t be wrong; I’ve not had much in the way of exciting adventures, chances taken or run ins with the law. I spent my first 18 years trying not to be noticed, and the next 8 trying to be something worth noticing. Not get off on the wrong foot here, but I’ve heard all the doom and gloom about being young and how quickly it fades, and with that in mind you might sympathise with being Mr. Depresso over here.

But as much of a sad sack start I’ve made here, I really don’t mean to be so sour. All things being relative, if the judgement came just from me and not my assumption from the outside, I would say the less boring bits have been thrilling, and every day they create more “thrillitude” (that’s a thrilled attitude) for the future. I’ve not had much to complain about, and I’m far from done with life. Sure I’m always tired and I don’t sleep so well but I’m not so bored with being awake that I’ll waste my hours being asleep, so it’s all alright. I don’t have nearly as much money as most of my friends or colleagues but I have a roof over my head and some groceries to use so I’ll manage. And I may look to others who have a different partner every night and the most wonderful attentions, but I have a wonderful woman in my life and her gorgeous pup, and feel as full as I could feel.

Sure if I were to take the list of stuff I’ve experienced and pick the biggest one, the game changer, the fulcrum of whom I’ve become – nothing. I'll be reminded that all things being relative there hasn't been much to choose from. I hardly remember yesterday, let alone yesteryear. Funnily enough, as I sit and reflect, staring out the bus window and trying really really hard to come up with something, I’m having a thought. The slow tunes in my earphones, paired with the fields and timber I’m passing match up well enough to make me wish life was less boring. But again, all things relative, how can I know that I’m bored if I’ve never been excited? And in this way I start to realise that this big life changing moment I am searching for is happening right now. I’m having that big moment right now, because I’m always having that moment. In fact, I woke up in the moment, I’ll go to bed in the moment, and the moment won’t fade until I die.

Everyone, everywhere is doing something, even if that something is doing nothing. We exist in a state of growing and shrinking, expanding and retracting. At any time we are pulling in information, and then dwelling on that information for our own unique brand of wisdom. That’s who I am and that’s all any of us can expect ourselves to be. So rather than dwell on one event, I encourage whoever might read this to see the value in the moment you’re in right now. Look outside, maybe even go outside (laws permitting of course). Take the earphones out and listen to the wind, the birds or even the stale nothing of a still day. Turn off your screen for the night and go listen to your breathing as you drift to sleep. Watch where the sun reaches and where the light stops. Whatever it is you do, look at where you are and what you are. Nothing more than a unique little thing existing in and for itself. That's a good thing.

And so you could take your life and try to line it up, to try and weigh the moments. Maybe you'll do that and worry that its been boring. Maybe it will be boring. I may even agree. But maybe boring is good. It means the next thing will probably be exciting. After all, it’s all relative. And everything’s gonna be alright.