Carpe Diem

Below, find an editorial I wrote after in July 2006.

I am so sick of people being cautious. Cautious, safe, guarded. It is no way to live. It is passively living, trying desperately to control circumstances outside of your control, to guard against things that can’t be guarded against, and to shut out experiences that maybe shouldn’t be shut out.

Cautious people—including me—are the wusses who let life go by while we are hoping it will come round again later. Ugh.

Now that I have been on the opposite side of this—with Bobby—I do not like cautious people. Life rarely throws you a gift this great. Do you think you can let it go by and that it will actually come around again? We have a finite number of chances to love, to live, to laugh, to learn. Carpe diem and all that. If you pass up a chance—well, you’d better be darn sure it was an experience worth passing up.

Think you are in love? Found someone who is a wonderful, rare gift? Don’t give them up by saying “I want to wait til I’m more mature.” The only way to get more mature is to jump in headfirst, scared and terrified and unprepared though you are. To learn and grow together. That person will probably never be available to you again, and you’ve just lost them—to what? To fear and insecurity.

Offered your dream job? Don’t pass it up because you feel underprepared or under-qualified. Don’t wait until you’ve got more experience. Dive in and get the experience as you go. Better to stumble around the dance floor than never dance at all.

Want to act, sing, or dance? Don’t pass it up to become something mature and secure like a teacher, doctor, or a lawyer instead. Screw the money and security and do what you want to do. Act, sing, and dance. You will not be young forever. God shapes our hearts so we are fit to a mold, and if we try to deny that mold, we’ll be fighting it unhappily for the rest of our lives.

Want to travel? Go. Want to learn a language? Sign up for classes. Want to make up with a friend? Write him today. Want to tell someone you love him? Tell him today. Life is not meant to be passed up, saved away til later, or approached with caution. It flies by, and opportunities whisk past and never come again. Sure, exercise cautioun and restraint, prudence even---but do not be passive. Do not let life happen to you. Happen to it.

Love is scary and terrifying. It is meant to be that way. It is a risk. You will get hurt. There is no way to guard against this. But do you really want to sit idly on the bleachers and never experience it at all? Hearts heal. Minds renew. God is powerful and faithful—he will get you through whatever heartache life throws your way. Trust in him, lean on him, and trust in yourself. You are strong enough to handle the pain when it comes, and you will survive. Rest in peace knowing that when the storm comes, you can handle it, and you will make it through. It doesn’t mean it won’t be hard, and you won’t have regrets, and it won’t be awful. It might. But rest in peace knowing it will end and you will be all right when it does.

Sadly, much of life is a “limited time only!” offer. Rush in and get yours today. Live while you have life. Enjoy love while you can. Don’t be scared of it and back off, afraid you’ll get burned. You will get burned. It is not a fear you need to have, not something you need to worry about, “Will I or won’t I get burned?” The answer is yes, you will. Go ahead and do it anyway. It will hurt just as much if you don’t take advantage of it, but at least this way you’ve got the joy and good memories to see you through it.

You will get hurt. You will be betrayed. Your heart will be broken. Your dreams will be crushed. You will have bad days. People will let you down. You will make mistakes. But you will be happy.

And it will be worth it.

Carpe diem.