Chapter the Second: So, Are You Excited?

          You know you have hit a certain point in life when the generic greeting you receive is ‘So, are you excited?’ Turns out there are many polite ways to answer in the affirmative.   I know this because over the last couple of days that sentence has been replaced with the typical “how are you today.”  So far, said responses tend to range from genuine to the kind of small talk that needs to be concluded in three sentences or less.  Preferably less.   Sincerely though, how many times in a five minute span can one be asked that question?  Furthermore, how many five minute spans will occur during the day?  The answer… at least once a minute for every half hour of the day depending on how many people one comes in contact with during that twenty-four hour period.  

Currently, I am en route to the staging event in Philadelphia where my fellow Trainees are waiting.  There is no doubt in my mind some variation of the question of excitement will be raised more than once for every trainee present.  In fact, about half of the sentences that involve the subject of being in an excited state will not actually be questions.  Instead, it will be boisterous rounds of cheering and chanting.  Yes, excitement will begin to manifest in the physical form.   It is not that I am against excitement in its various forms, quite the opposite in fact. It is just can we please talk about something else, anything else, including the weather.  

On that note , instead of telling you all how excited I may or may not be I will share with you some words of wisdom that a very dear friend passed along to me. (Insert shout out to Trevor S.) I love you , Buddy.  Thank you, and don’t ever stop being you.

Some things to think about pretty much full time.

I have no parents; I make the heaven and earth my mother and father.

I have no home; I make awareness my dwelling.

I have no life and death; I make the tides of breathing my life and death.

I have no divine power; I make honesty my divine power.

I have no means; I make understanding my means.

I have no magic secrets; I make character my magic secret.

I have no body; I make endurance my body.

I have no eyes; I make the flash of lightening my eyes.

I have no ears; I make sensibility my ears.

I have no limbs; I make promptness my limbs.

I have no strategy; I make “unshadow-ed by thought” my strategy.

I have no designs; I make “seizing opportunity by the forelock” my design.

I have no miracles; I make right action my miracle.

I have no principles; I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.

I have no tactics; I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.

I have no talents; I make ready wit my talent.

I have no friends; I make my mind my friend.

I have no enemy; I make carelessness my enemy.

I have no armor; I make benevolence and righteousness my armor.

I have no castle; I make immovable mind my castle.

I have no sword; I make absence of self my sword.