New Beginning, New Day

How I Learned To Make My Mark

 It all started the day I read something that got me to thinking about the word Ordinary.

I can not remember who wrote it or how I found it but it was a long time ago.

If you look up the word Ordinary there are many different ways people define,

what is suppose to be another word for "common" or "unspecial".

How many times when someone asked you how your day was did you reply,

oh it was just an Ordinary day?

I have  said this many times to neighbors and friends without thinking about what it really meant.

Now I know It wasn't true,

I have never had an Ordinary day. 

The Sunrise or Sunset never happened at the exact same time two days in a row,

The feelings I got from gazing at the changing colors that brought light and dark onto the earth were never  "common" to the days before it. 

Life's time clock never stands still. 

every feeling felt at this moment whether its anger, boredom, curiosity,  passion or calm will never be able to be felt in that moment again.

Once the day is gone it is never coming back. Only a new one rises in its place.

Every day is different in either small or huge ways, like a handful of  pennies, like a snowflake, like a fingerprint.

If you look close enough  you will see a distinct quality in each of them that makes them unique that can not be duplicated now or millions of years from now.

How is that Ordinary?

The words I specifically  read was really about finding Ordinary People to interact with.

I looked to this man's words to teach me what to seek in becoming sociable and I looked up the exact definition of what Ordinary People meant. 

Just like there are many different ways to explain the word Ordinary there is just as many ways to describe  Ordinary People.

The one I loved and agreed with the most is that Ordinary People basically have a lack of confidence or fear of being themselves and  tend to follow the crowd.

This stopped me. I found the answer to what I had been long searching for. 

I was trying to find the place of Zen where I was not afraid to show all the world the light within me.

What if my light was invisible and no one sees it I often thought to myself?

What if my light stings people like when they may take a shower and soap accidentally squirts in there eyes. 

I imagine how bad it would feel to be washed out. 

That is when the fear would take over my desire to open the door a crack, 

to peek around and see if everything is safe. To go outside and play a little.

Even though I had the passion to change I tended to back away from being too engaged in conversation. I say a word here and there but never much or for long periods of time.

I was being Ordinary.  

In that moment the truth hit me and nearly left me breathless. 

I would rather be anything other than Ordinary. 

I decided no matter how long or how much work it took fear was not going to have a hold on me. 

However I would not seek out the Ordinary People.

Instead I found those that  were brave enough to different,

If they got laughed at I would do something to make them laugh at me.

My town is mostly lovable and while it did not happen often I never turned away from someone being bullied or made fun of without giving a hug or word of kindness. 

At times this took a lot of courage, but it always felt good to see and hear someones tears turn to giggles.

Little by Little each day instead of being afraid I became excited.

watching how all the different people out there put there own Penny or Snowflake mark on the world.

At the same time enjoying each day , each feeling,

Knowing tomorrow is not going to be just an Ordinary day.

I was finally ready to be my own snowflake, penny, fingerprint mark on the world.