This song came on Pandora as I was proofreading and I didn’t have any other ideas for the post….
Our life is made up of essentially two things: important people and important experiences. The distinction may be too subtle to normally distinguish but it’s a concept that I’ve played with for awhile. As I see it, there are people who mean something to you and memories that mean something to you and they may not always be of equal importance.
Let’s say for instance, you had a school friend growing up who decided for some reason to end the friendship. The pain, confusion of that one-sided decision may have stuck with you and taught you something. Maybe it’s that people can be flaky or not every friend is meant to be a best friend. Or you had a co-worker who routinely threw people under the bus when the pressure was on. Although you no longer wanted to have a relationship with that person, you learned something from them. You learned how to cover your ass and be prepared to avoid people like that in the future. Or an ex who liked you best in a t-shirt, jeans and no make-up. Maybe from/with him you learned other people could see you as pretty without all of the artificial additions. A stranger checking you ID at the airport told you you should smile more b/c your smile’s so nice on your license. (That’s actually happened but in my defense I wasn’t smiling b/c it was 6 in the morning and I was the airport…)
Then we switch to the people. Maybe there was a special teacher who was the first person not blood related to to see your potential and encourage you. An old friend you grew apart from but had no problem starting up where you left off 10 years later. An ex who made you realize it is possible to hate someone you love. A choir director you thought hated you but it was just that they expected more of you. A boss who knew you were worth more than your paycheck.
The possibilities could be endless and easily intermingled. Generally important people are a part of our important experiences. The distinction for me is whether I think more about how I felt and what I learned than what they said and where they are now. Everyone enters our lives for a reason. Some are meant to teach us something and disappear into the sea of faces while others are specially designed for us and our needs. Count your blessings for the important people wherever they may be and however long it’s been since they touched your life.
Jo’van
The Truth: According to Jo'van 