#1 Reflections

At the time of writing this, I am in the middle of the last week at my current job. It has been a long and wonderful journey that I like to refer to as a side-quest. In case you don’t speak gamer, a side quest is a detour that sends you down a path that has nothing to do with the main storyline. Think of it like if Frodo made it halfway to Mordor and suddenly craved blueberries and taking a three-day journey off to the side to hunt some down. The main story is still there, waiting to be resolved, but a detour was taken for whatever reason. 

We gamers love these tangential adventures because they make us better equipped to handle the main event when we come back to it. It’s like going to the gym or studying for an exam: it makes us better at the race or the midterms. We get stronger, smarter and wiser so that when we do come back, we come back swinging. The journey may not be a complete cake-walk the second time around, but it’s definitely a lot easier because we have put in the work to grow a little more before progressing. 

I think we all need periods like this, where we seek to improve and mature for the journey ahead. Problem is, I’m not so sure we can go through this stage on our own. My side quest starts with me chasing down the wrong priorities and helping me see how much growth I really needed. From there, I began the process to develop not by my own means, but through the help of various guides. Often we talk about self improvement and self actualization. The problem with this is the fact that you can only become as wise as your mentor’s guidance. Become your own guide and you basically only become as wise as yourself. Whereas if you seek the insights of others, you can develop far beyond your years and ultimately push forward to newer and greater heights. 

I first realized that my current adventure would be a side quest one evening as I was watching Gotham. I actually wrote about it a few months ago. It was the second post I made about the show, where I talked about redemption. That incident struck me in a really big way, and for the longest time I couldn’t figure out why. In case you missed that post, it was basically a long-term redemption story that lasted an entire season of my favorite show. Eventually, the character in question comes back with a renewed vigor and the whole thing struck me as interesting. It stood out in a way that really stuck with me and I couldn’t figure out why. 

But as things got worse at work, I became like a soda can, shaken up and ready to burst. And burst I did! One day I reached a point where I said to myself “screw this! I want to go work with my hands again.” I did some reflecting on this for a bit. At first I couldn’t help but wonder if I was being like the Israelites wandering the desert. Was I here in the freedom of the wilderness, saying I would rather go back to slavery? My answer eventually landed on a very firm “no.” 

I’m not just going back to my pile of dung, I’m coming back to my purpose with a vengeance. I’m going to get my plumber’s license (there’s a poop joke to be made here, but that’s beneath me.) I’m going to really sink my teeth into this world and make something of it for myself. Just like in Gotham, I’m back with a vengeance! And I couldn’t be more excited!

But before I start this new chapter, I want to take some time to look back at the one I’m closing. This has been a really productive chunk of time, and I don’t want to neglect all that God has done in my life. So buckle up as we kick off our boots for a little bit and reflect on where we’ve been. If you’re new around here, stick around as well, because I’ve got some good stories to tell. 

Alrighty, then!

I’ll see you on the grass