Soul

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

     Stop, Stare, and Listen.

     It’s all a person can do to insure that they don’t miss a thing in life. It may seem strange, but there are so many missed opportunities and things I personally wish I could have done.

     Stop. Stop what you’re doing right now. Hurry, you don’t have much time! That cute guy that’s walking past is nearly gone, go and talk to him; who knows, he may be your future husband… Do you really need to go to that party? You have yet to finish your homework. Think of how proud your parents would be to see you get that A you’ve been promising them… Don’t get in that car, the guys been drinking, and you know it’s dangerous. But, you need to get home before you’re parents figure out that you’re not home…

     Those were missed opportunities.

     Now, that cute guy is the top lawyer in L.A. and you’re stuck in a loveless marriage, preparing to sign the divorce papers this very afternoon. I told you, you should have talked to him… oh well. It’s your loss.

     You had to go to the party, it was just that important and, besides, Mr. Hottie was going to be  there, and you had to make sure he wasn’t going to flirt with Ms. Shakira, whose hips never lie when she’s on the dance floor, or in the bedroom… but who knows, really? It was only a large rumor that circulated the school, but you believe it. It was one assignment, you keep telling yourself, but it was the one assignment keeping you from graduating high school. Yes, that’s right, you failed. You chose a life of dances and booze instead of a life with a bright future and a college degree. Oh well… catch you one the flip side. Get it? Flipping burgers at Burger King while I’m growing impatient waiting for my order before heading to the big meeting ending with that large promotion, and let not forget, that big fat bonus check. Sorry, that could have been you, but it’s not.

     You are dead. You ended up going in the car with the drunk guy, his car flipped, and now you a nothing but a pile of bones six feet under. You lost a life of fun, romance, adventure, carefree days… do I need to continue? It was one decision, one simple argument of yes… or no. You chose yes, and now you are dead. You could have chosen no. No, who cares if my parents get mad at me for sneaking out and going to that party they had forbade. Who cares if I end up grounded for the rest of my adolescent life. I’m pretty damn, spanking sure your parents would be happy you made the right decision, to know that they taught you right. Oh well… now, their left grieving over the loss of their only child, while you’re left in the ground, with the dirt, the maggots, the death all around you every second of the day for the rest of eternity.

     That was my missed opportunity. All I had to do was stop and think about what I was doing. But, I didn’t, and now my chance to be something is gone.

     Stare. People will think you’re a freak for staring, but who cares. Take in the beauty around you; drink the sights, the smells. Believe me, when you stop for just a second, and take in everything around you, everything right can unfold around you and reveal your true meaning in life. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you have become; staring at what is around you can change your life’s perspective.

     Listen. If you’re in a fight, listen to what the other person has to tell you. You could learn some valuable things about your character and how you can become a better person. If you are standing by the ocean, listen to the waves crash against the rocks, the cries of the gulls in the sky, a child running in the golden sand; you could find a place inside you and learn something you never knew before. If you are in a busy street of New York, listen to the bustling of people and the calm that comes with it, though it may be hard to find. Because you never know when a tragedy will occur, and that calm, normal bustling of everyday life could be over taken by terror, fear beyond repair, and the loud hum of grieving that follows.

     Stop, Stare, and Listen. Combine these three things, and a whole new world will appear around you There is a butt-load of things out there that you need to experience, but you can’t do that if something is holding you back. Think about what you do before you take the final leap.

     Stop, Stare, and Listen.