I was speaking with my friend Jamie the other day. We were talking about the conundrum we all find ourselves in at some point where we question what it is we're doing versus what it is we'd rather be doing. And she asked me (really herself), "is this all there is for me?" I began to think about the idea of a "this-ness" as a period in which one must do something in order to make the bridge to something else. It may be something they'd rather be doing or it may be just another step in their own evolution.
Jamie and I work for a generalist publisher and, though, the work can be interesting, we are still encased in cubicles wilting from the lack of any natural light and the constant pressures of deadline driven work. On the upside, we are in a creative environment and our department is fairly liberal. We are mostly left to our own devices in order to get our projects done. Then, on the downside, we are in a corporation that firmly believes in the bottom line and will happily squelch a good book idea if it is too new. Meaning, we mostly do books that have already been done by countless other general publishers in one form or another and under various titles. It's kind of like working in a Hollywood studio.
So, when Jamie asked me if the "This" she is in was all there would be, that part of my psyche that regulates philosophical ideas blurted out "Hell No Girlfriend!" However, it was simultaneously transcribed into an idea that there are times in our lives when we must focus on whatever the "This" is that we find ourselves in with the conviction that times are changing. Whether you believe in evolution or not, we all go through it. Think about how your own ideas and actions have changed over the course of your lives. Evolution is change. It's unavoidable. Thank the gods!
The next time you find yourself questioning your own state of affairs, just remember that "This" is never all there is. Because "This" is temperal and we, my friends, are not.
