What happens when you come to a point in your life where the little things matter more and the thought of entertaining a trivial and meaningless argument (that has the opportunity to forever change your life) becomes insignificant in the big picture of what you see in your future? I’ll tell you what… when the realization of what truly matters in the grand scheme of things smacks you dead in the face.
I have only spent 27 years on this earth thus far and throughout my years I have had the opportunity to meet and love many different types of people. All of which I will say, have taught me something and have in turn have made me a better and more wise person since meeting them. Every place I go, whether it be the grocery store, mall, dog park or random coffee shop I usually have some sort of conversation with a total stranger. I had a dear friend of mine say to me recently that she notices I talk to the most random people at the most inopportune times, have the most off the wall stories and will meet anyone wherever I go. Being well aware of this before she pointed it out I just simply laughed and said “well don’t you?” To my surprise she said that she never does that and never tries to. The thought of going out of her way to meet someone new isn’t something on her agenda for any given day. She goes to the grocery store, goes about her business and carries on with her day content with never meeting a stranger. I on the other hand, will sit and talk to the cashier at Sweet Bay for 20 minutes about different types of coffee we’ve tried, where to find it and so forth. While on trips I love meeting people that work in the places I adore to shop at and chatting them up or just striking up a conversation with someone at a park who just so happens to be sitting close to me on a bench. I love the idea of never knowing who that person is, who they were early in life or who they are aspiring to be but learning so much about then as we chat. Hearing and learning about how other people live and view society is something I crave. You never know where it is you’ll end up in life so I try and somehow stay in contact with whomever I meet randomly. Who knows, maybe I’ll move to San Diego and need to find a place to live. The really nice guys I met while out in Savannah who live there might be able to lend a helping hand.
I have friends who look at someone and judge them instantly, or will throw out a dirty look if someone just so happens to walk too close to them or talk too loud. There have been times that we all do these sorts of things and we seem to think of ourselves as pretty normal right? There have been times when I’m with my girlfriends at dinner and during conversation my reaction to something one of us is saying or vice versa is so profound that a “louder” response is the only thing that comes out of my mouth. It does not make me trashy or classless, nor does it make the person next to me who happens to do it if in turn the situation were switched… it just says to me that the person who is experiencing this reaction is having a fantastic night. I can’t say enough how much I love seeing people who are in a uncontrollable belly laugh with their loved one or a close friend. I try to imagine what could be so funny to have made them shed tears of laughter. I know how incredible it feels to I have one of those moments with someone I love, and when you’ve stopped laughing long enough to take a deep breath to soak up the moment, you have not a care in the world. It definitely puts a smile on my face while seeing other people experience it.
Having experienced many good laughs in my day I would say those are the moments I live for. I love the simple things in life and can say I always have but am now starting to try and really focus on them more; especially when it comes to my everyday life and the choices I make that will possibly have an impact on my future. Whether it be with love, ending friendships, starting new ones or simply making a point to exercise outside at a certain time of day so that I can watch a remarkable sunset...it’s a choice I choose to make that will only end with a smile.
There is always something that drives you nuts about the person you adore. Those things, over time can start to eat away at the big picture if you let them and that is something I am personally working on with every relationship I find myself in. Whether you’re able to recognize it or not, if this person is somehow linked to a part of your happiness then it’s time for you to cut the crap and recognize what really matters. The things that drive you crazy are the things you will miss the most when they’re gone. From the snoring, to the t-shirts, the play by plays and the never-ending saga of not agreeing on food choices. If you can either sit back and realize that these quirks are what make this person who they are and you love them for that alone then you're on a great path. If you choose to sit and be miserable with not being able to see the good that comes from it then you are missing out my friend.
You can fool yourself into thinking that all of those “annoying” things are what really matter in the long run but at the end of the day, when that person’s laugh gives you butterflies you have to come to the decision and decide what really makes puts the cherry on your sundae of life. The butterflies and belly laughs or the snoring?
