MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

SELECTED OTHER WORK

THE LIFE WE DESERVE
Sunday Oct. 6, 2019
 
As babies, continually cuddled, outfitted, fed, washed, held, burped, pacified, and changed. Growing fast, learning speech and running fast, racing toward who we are begetting. Led, taught, advised, and mentored, but resisting, racing headlong toward being ‘our own self.’
 
If we feel unique, then we are.
If we feel free and independent, then we are.
If we feel restrained and exploited, then we are.
If we feel we are scapegoats or sacrificed, then we are.
 
If we feel free, independent thinkers controlling our lives, then we are. Sometimes, we say we are when we aren’t. Temporary lapse or weak moment headed down some rabbit hole or wildly careening out of control.
 
I re-read a quote recently, not sure its source, about reaching 50 with the face we deserve. In my mirror, I see my dad. We deserve to look like parents.
 
But those poignant words mean much more; ease, or strain, peace or pain, happy or sad – we see written upon faces.
 
Many people, I expect, feel they deserve a different face derived from a different life, better, perhaps manifesting someplace else – because of boredom, or pain, or ambition, or feelings of helplessness. It isn’t about deserving vis-à-vis non-deserving, as much as choosing or non-choosing.
 
If you like your life, your face, your circumstances – just stay where you are. Keep smiling.
 
If you don’t like your life, your face, or circumstances – don’t wait for someone to change it for you, don’t wait for the weather to change, circumstances to be right, or because of which way some wind is blowing.
 
We know who we are – we are the only ones who do.


read this column and other articles by Mark Kolke at Medium

sign up to get Musings free daily

 


 
Mark Kolke, Realtor, MaxWell South Star Realty

sign up to get Musings free daily


Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2021