Wondering if...

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Recently, I discovered that a previous classmate, NaturalBrownMomma, is also fellow blogger/writer.  This realization excited me and got me to thinking.  Thinking about the commonalities that I shared with others that I/we never knew; not that we didn't like one another.  We simply never put ourselves in situations to explore those commonalities.  We each had focuses and people that made us comfortable and never stretched beyond that familiarity.  Why is that important?  For me, it is an example of how I closed myself off (didn't embrace many things outside my box).  

 I know you are thinking, what the heck is she saying.  Let me explain further.  Growing up, we learn in one very key way, observation.  You thought I was going to say school, didn't you?  Sorry, I believe we learn from personal experience.  Granted, I am not talking about English, Math, and Science.  I am referring to how we become us: how we speak, behave, and approach life.  We observe our family members, our teachers, our friends, church members; learning things like right from wrong, acceptable behaviors, what relationships look like, where to put focus.  As we observe, we start to separate aspects of life into what we like, don't like, and don't know.  

 The first two are expected because we are exposed and make a decision from there.  The third is the most interesting because it is the one that sparks fear.  Fear is often the hindrance to tackling those things we do not know and causes us to close ourselves off. This process of closing off can often end is missed opportunities.  As we grow older, this process is only broken by force from someone or something.  The realization I mentioned earlier was a missed opportunity.  Being able to discuss writing with this classmate could have encouraged us both, especially as life started to unfold.  

 Let me see if I can bring all of this together.  Exposure is one of the greatest ways to unearth things you enjoy, varying relationships, and hidden talents.  It provides perspective and encourages forethought.  The last thing I want for myself and anyone else is to spend a lifetime wondering, "What if I had..."

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