Passion

Doesn’t everybody feel the same way I do? If I do anything, I want to do it passionately.

There are many things I do in life with little passion. Mowing the lawn is the first thing that comes to mind. The grass grows and so I cut it. Sometimes I am tempted to let it grow and not cut it until I can get passionate about it, which will probably be never.

There are times when I write that I ache to get the words out. I can’t wait to get to the keyboard and let the thoughts spill onto the screen. I can be in bed in the middle of the night and something jumps into my mind and I leap out of my covers and rush to the computer.

One thing I love is having passionate conversations with people. A good example was tonight. The relatives of Nora Clench, who grew up in this house, are visiting and someone in town who knows a lot about her came over. I could feel the energy flow through the discussion.

It’s sad that I can no longer play softball due to a hip replacement. One of these days I may go out and play anyway. I am passionate about the game. I hate watching it, but when I am on the field, it is like I am on a stage. It is where I am meant to be. This passion has affected every team I have played for.

There are days as a teacher when I am passionate. These are days when I capture my students in a spell they can’t avoid. They are swept up in a tide of enthusiasm and something magical happens.

I enjoy being passionate about life. When I am I feel like a wild horse running at full speed with the wind running through its hair. My energy level is high and I don’t feel fatigue. Lately I have not been feeling that passion. I have been doing things that I am committed to do, like some volunteer work in the community, but I am aching to get into something that stirs my blood and focuses every bit of energy in my body.

Yes, I want to be passionate about life. I want my life to be like a sponge and soak up many positive experiences. Before I die, I want to squeeze that sponge so every bit of moisture is wrung out of it. I already have enough “what ifs” and “might have beens” in my biography. When opportunities come, I want to be ready to grasp them with vigour, not merely touch them.