The Roaring Present

I took a small trip today, a brief 100 miles from my home, for the day. A friend responded to my intentions by exclaiming “What an adventure!” to which I gave some thought. Sartre has brought into my mind the question of what my life has been filled with - adventures or simple existence. I lied earlier when I stated that I have seen so little of the world, that I have been lacking adventure and exploration. While I may not have seen the world, it would be a complete misinterpretation of my life to claim that I have existed solely in one area. Granted, I have not seen London, or Dubai, Paris or Tokyo, but I have walked the streets of some of the greatest cities in America, and explored the roads of the small towns in between.  From Chicago, to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, I have seen buildings reaching towards the sky, oceans caressing sandy beaches and winding roads in luscious mountains. I have seen the fog lift over my drive in between mountains revealing the sea behind me and grassy inclines in front. I have met surfers and cowboys, hippies and rednecks. I have spent time in the isolate town of Denison, Iowa and watching a film in Santa Barbara. For too long has my life focused on heroic tales of impossible heights, ignoring my own adventures happening everyday. If my life is to be a story, I shall make it my own. I shall revel in my own small feats and find splendor in my small travels. There is such joy to be found in looking out a window as the world flies by at 100 miles an hour with people, homes and lives flying by both seen and unseen. There is excitement and new found experiences to be had from stopping briefly in a new city and just sitting down for coffee. My life need not be filled with money, power, guns or respect in order for my own self to feel rewarded with my time here. As I watch my life fly by, I intend to view each minute with the beauty and attention it deserves. Too much of my life has been lost to disregard, slowly rusting in the netherlands of my mind, withering away unnoticed. How many minutes and words of my life have been forgotten? What amazing revelations have passed me by due to neglect?