Sunday, September 07, 2008

Looking forward.

My favorite person in the world recently asked me “What are you looking forward to?”

My immediate answer was “There’s nothing I’m looking forward to.”

Which, in one sense, is a rather disheartening answer. And in another sense is a rather dishonest one. Looking forward seems to be a bit of a human thing to do. I, for instance, am actually looking forward to many things that a lot of people can’t look forward to. I’m looking forward to having plenty of food to eat, each and every day for the rest of my life. I’m looking forward to having health care provided for me when, not if, I find myself in need of it. I’m looking forward to sleeping in a warm house this winter, out of the rain. I’m looking forward to engaging in relationship with my current friends as well as new ones I hope to meet. I’m looking forward to doing all these thing for probably another 40 years. Not to mention education, reading, writing, movies, bicycling, motorcycling, sailing, fishing, singing, guitaring, surfing the net, changing the world (that last one I’m not super sure about anymore, truthfully).

What are *you* looking forward to?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm looking forward to the day that i get a copy of the book that the book chapter that i principle authored arrives in my mailbox. my name in actual print, i'm an actual writer.

each week i look forward to bible study at my new church - because my pastor is understanding enough for me to be able to ask him the difficult questions and give me actual answers rather than the canned answers i got at my old church.

i look forward to the day i'm no longer exhausted, when i can get on my bike and ride with joy rather than the fatigue i feel today.

i look forward to the day i get the courage to really study for comps, then take them - because i'll know that the biggest hurdle to getting this phd is past me.

i look forward to the day that i defend my dissertation and my professor says to me - congratulations.

i look forward to the day that i officially join my new church, because it means that my old church is finally and officially behind me.

---
btw ben - i think about you daily. you are in my prayers. i know - it's a hell of a lot easier to say than do - but keep hanging in there. and while i know that our sadness is caused by different things - and that you have lots of people to reach out too - please reach out to me if you ever need to.

stephy said...

You do realize that answering that is a sign of clinical depression which is a treatable condition. Just my two cents. Would be fun to have you guest post at the SCCL blog!

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to getting married to my sweet + wonderful fiance in 2.5 weeks (and seeing you + Megan that day!)! I'm looking forward to our five-week road trip across the USA. And I'm looking forward to both the Canadian and American election results! :)

Liz said...

actually , I have quite a bit of gratitude for these everyday things.

Fishpimp said...

I'm looking forward to a beer with yous at the Fiddler sometime in October.