At the time of this post the Bucs are getting smacked. 20-3 with under 2 left and the Rams driving within field goal range for another. The game is, unofficially, over. Barring an Atlanta-esque collapse, Brady is done for the season without that coveted ring. So, what is next? All interested eyes are turned towards his possible retirement. While many would like to see his story end with a win, many others simply want it to end. Why? Because we live through the stories we see and hear and read and we make heroes and villains out of the players in these tales. We live through the stories of others as we live in our own hard-fought tales. The stories of others are more glamorous and we can talk about the choices that other people make because there is no real consequence for us in what they do save for that which we allow ourselves to invest in their choices.
As for our own stories? Often we feel like we are not in control. Often we feel as though the choices we make are not choices at all and instead we are locked into a limited set of options and a daily routine that is terrifying to escape from. We do find moments of escape–be it through games or vacations. Our youngest adults escape through meaningless sex and strings of relationships that approximate a life. Meanwhile our youth exist in virtual landscapes in which the concept of their personal lives is merely as a reflection of what they see and or background noise to the cacophony.
Sometimes to escape, we simply dream. But what dreams do come in lives lined with darkness and despair?
Some Thoughts:
- Rest in Peace Thich Nacht Hanh.