the audacity of change
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
-Mohandas K. Gandhi
Hope. There’s been a lot of talk about it lately. More specifically, the hope that our new President can restore our country and save it from the problems we’ve gotten ourselves into. My hope is that the passion and togetherness Barack Obama has instilled in Americans will not fade, but grow. My hope is that we will realize that hope is all we have at this point. Nothing has been done, yet. My hope is that people will look inside themselves and take responsibility for things unsettled in their lives. Fix it. Strive for more out of life. My hope is that people will quit looking outside for what’s wrong and who’s going to fix it and turn inward.
I’ve had this beard on my face for almost 5 months. Most people have probably heard the story that I started growing the beard as part of a competition with my friend Jon. However, that’s only partically true. I actually had the beard for about a week before Jon & I started our competition, which is now defunct. The contest was only an engine for keeping the beard when I was still getting used to having a small grizzly beard on my cheeks and wanted to rip it off like a mask from the back of my jawbone.
In actuality, there were many reasons I started the beard. I was interested in a girl who wasnt interested in me so my crazy mind thought, “Hey Ryan, lets grow a beard and get all grizzly so then when I shave it off people will be like, ‘Damn, he looks hot now’” … However, I’m convinced that the general public is in favor of my beard at a ratio of about 4-to-1.
I’ve had a feeling for a while that I need to mature in some areas of my life. I need to grow up. I made a list of things a grown man should do. This isn’t supposed to be sexist or anything, it’s just a matter of me having to take responsibility for my life because no one else will. Things like pay the bills on time. Grocery shopping over quick food options. Managing the financial situation vigilantly. Being proactive instead of reactive. Even little things like taking the trash out the day it needs to be out. My beard is a symbol of this movement in my life. What better way to become a man than with a beard?
My hope is that you grow your own beard. Create some movement in your life.
“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them.”
-Louisa May Alcott
