Everything Under the Sun

Change; despite its potential for newness and happiness, travels with a reliable companion - complication. And as life complicates, so does the change. We came back to this idea of change, in example after example, over the course of months, and my good friend kept repeating one thing each time: "It's growing pains man," he kept saying. Expressively stated and accurately coined, I believe Growing Pains is the name of this era. From about 18 into our mid to late 20's we experience so much change. And life has a way of making us feel like King Midas, as we rise to our potential and see achievement manifest. But in this specific era of life, as changes pile up, there exists a reliable dichotomy. The new is replacing the old. A new job requires you leave the old city. A new schedule means it's different than your old one. A new life means a departure from the old. I'm reminded of what my credo, the Desiderata, so matter of factly states, "gracefully surre...

A colon: A punctuation used to precede a list of items. It's a transition from the past, to all the potential of the future. The items after a colon expand on or clarify what came before it. They're not separate, lesser, or unrelated. They're what's to come. We know what comes after a colon is going to be important and meaningful.  Its optional to capitalize a word after a colon. It's a style choice. In my case, it's a lifestyle choice. How will I proceed, after the colon? How will I choose to live my life after the colon is gone? It's my choice.  I invented the idea when so much uncertainty and ambiguity began consuming me. But, I remembered the plaque my father gave me, which his gave to him. "God, grant me the  Serenity  to accept the things I cannot change,  Courage  to change the things I can, and  Wisdom  to know the difference." Long story short, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at age 5. I've been hospitalized...