As a girl I hated going to the movies. Well, that's not true. I LOVED going to movies, I just hated how I felt when I walked out of the theater. After all the credits rolled, I was left feeling sorry for myself because the lives of the people in the movies were better than mine. It wasn't about the happy ending. I mean, that was great, but the thing that really bothered me was that my life wasn't ADVENTUROUS. The hum drum of school, homework, church, and family just seemed so dull compared to the glitzy stories on the big screen. Why couldn't I have a life like that?
When I got a bit older, high school say, I got a bit wiser. I wasn't jealous of the movies. I mean, those were just stories after all. By that time I realized NO ONE's life was like that. Even if people did have those sort of "moviesque" adventures, they were probably speckled between boring, dull, or common experiences too. Movie makers edited those out to keep our attention. Oh yes, I was much wiser.
So, instead of being depressed about the story of the movies, I became depressed about those that made movies. How wonderful was it that screenwriters, directors, actors, and musicians could come together to create something so awesome! They could take people out of their boring hum drum lives for an hour or two. They could create their own world. Oh how I wished I could create something like that! Oh, yes, I was much wiser. But I still walked out of movies depressed.
The problem with being a dreamer is that being happy where you are is a struggle. You are always hoping for bigger, better things. It's good to have goals and aspirations, but when looking to the future obscures the blessings of the present, I think something special is lost.
On my last day as a missionary for my church, I asked my friend if she had any advice for me. I was going home and leaving the beautiful Spanish people that I had come to love. She told me something that has stuck with me every since. She said, "LOVE WHERE YOU ARE." How powerful is that? We should learn from the past, and look toward the future, but HERE is where was ARE NOW and we should LOVE IT.
I can watch movies now without becoming sad. So what if my life isn't the glitzy adventure of the big screen. It is mine, and every day presents me with an opportunity to grow, learn, love, and explore. I am creating my own life story everyday.
I want to be better at enjoying the present and was wondering how you enjoyed your today?
What do you do to savor the moment?
