Light the House

Peering through the glass of a full length doorway, as the new morning sun hid behind clouds of rain, my three year old daughter and five year old dog awaited the events of the day by patiently watching the world pass through the window’s pane. Outside, cars motored, passersby passed, neighbors neighbored; all the usual events of a completely uneventful morning unfolded before their glistening eyes and wishing minds and yet they stood there stoically wondering what the day might reveal. In a picture perfect moment, we snapped a photograph to chronicle such an unusual occurrence, and then, in an instance, it was over, much like a rainless rainbow, leaving nothing behind but a simple image frozen in time. Their unwitting pose, albeit momentarily, enveloped the camera’s lens and successfully intertwined the concepts of patience and friendship with such ease that my words can now only awkwardly paint the picture in prose. With a western flare, I offer the following:

“They lit it boys, they lit the house”

The dictionary defines the word patience as “an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.” In today’s world, patience has become much less of a virtue and much more of an avoidance. Consider some of the following: fast food restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, express lanes, cable television, smart phones, etc. All of these goods and services are marketed for instant gratification thus eliminating patience from the equation. We sacrifice patience to obtain instant gratification and then wonder why our children never exhibit patience when facing delays. Our children practice what we preach and when instant gratification prevails in our lives, it does so in their lives as well.

Consider the following analogy; in the Wild West, when law men wanted to end a stand off with a criminal who had barricaded himself in a house, they did not rush in guns blazing, risking life and limb. Nope, they lit the house on fire. Monumental concept, I know. They resisted their desire to immediately end the stand-off and let the fire slowly smoke the bandit out, or burn him up, whichever came first. Either way, justice was served. In exhibiting patience, risks were reduced and results were increased.

The analogy can be adapted for present day in many different ways; want to get in shape, light the house. Work out methodically, over time, and without constraints. Be patient and results will come. Quit seeking instant results and slick machines that promise half the work with twice the results. Work out to maintain health and fitness, doing what you enjoy. That might mean hiking, biking, running, weight training, walking, skating, whatever. Allow the paradigm to shift from instant results to long term benefits by embracing your exercise of choice and infusing it into your everyday life. Be diligent, eat well, and remember, if you seek fitness as a goal, you must practice fitness as a way of life, not just in the moment, but in every moment.

Want financial freedom, light the house. Develop a long term plan and enact it with patience. Sure that new car, boat, house, etc. would look great in your possession but unless it is in your financial plan, it is not necessary. Be patient, it will come. Financial stability is obtained by creating strategic expenditures, resisting instant gratification, identifying peer pressure, and applying patience when dealing in matters of money. Marketers want you to act now; rates are low, slots are limited, prices are great, etc. They promise great yields regardless of the product or service they sell. They cite measureable results and display well developed plans but in the end, you control whether or not you purchase a product or service. If you want long-term financial stability, light the house. With patience, the results you seek will rise above the marketer’s smoke.

The awkward segue between concepts:

“It ain’t easy having pals”

Childhood friendships are like perfect summer days; oftentimes fleeting yet never forgotten. The evidence of such a statement exists inside the falling mercury of sunless winter days when one’s thoughts turn toward the familiar glow of youthful meanderings and time well spent, usually with a buddy or two, a hayloft, a swimming hole, or perhaps a bicycle or tire swing.

If your like me, many of these friendships are hibernating, much like the summer sun, awaiting another time to shine, another moon to rise, another year to turn, before the friendship is renewed with old stories relived and new wrinkles ignored. Who else other than this merry band could see you as you were 20 or 30 years ago?

Our childhood friendships are very important to the lives we live as adults. The truth is simple, no matter how far we roam, we still visit our childhoods and remember similar events that helped create the man or woman we see in the mirror each day. The reflection, regardless of the age, still has the glimmer of youth and reckless abandonment you looked past so many years ago when your buddies were waiting for a ride to school, a trip to the ball park, or a night on the town.

I wonder sometimes how my pals are, the ones I don’t see regularly. I wonder if they also have similar nostalgic moments and find peace in knowing that no matter how far they tread, how long it has been, that our creed, whether spoken or not, was and is, anything, anywhere, anytime. Something tells me I’m not alone in this sentiment; that while our childhoods are only reviewable in reverse, good memories need no reason to remind, and friendships are never forgotten.

“There is many a slip twixt the cup and the lip”

In that fleeting moment, the moment between action and photograph, the concepts of friendship and patience came into stark focus. Funny how simple things can expose complex comparisons between concepts. But one could argue quite successfully that with friendship comes patience, as the two in this picture do, without a word, or without a thousand, while patiently awaiting the world and all its splendor. In the words of the Bard, “If you find a friend, tie him with chains of steel” as friendship is well worth the wait. Just a thought!

“Advices report that sometime later, an unidentified person snuck into the graveyard and chiseled an inscription. The epitaph read only one word... 'Pals'.”