Wednesday 7 June 2017

Mermaids and Expectations

It appears inevitable that we will have expectations in life. Some are great and some are poor, some are based on incorrect facts and others are founded in belief. Sometimes we have a certain expectation of a person, other times it's of a certain event, and then still sometimes it stretches further into the afterlife and what that might entail. Some people profess they don't have many expectations, that they take life as it comes, but let's be frank. We all have expectations and sometimes it sucks because they put us in a mindset which ultimately leads to disappointment. Let me give a hypothetical example that in no way involves me or true events.

Say it's late one night, you're scoping out a new town, trying to get your bearings and see what's unique. Earlier that day, maybe you went to a cool cafe and bothered the locals to find out the scuttlebutt. You wanted to know both what makes the town's people tick, and on a separate note what might be cool to check out. You make some new friends and leave with a list of possible activities at the same time, not too bad hypothetical you. One thing stuck with you for the remainder of the day that you couldn't rid your mind of...mermaids.

Yes, I said mermaids. You know, those things that are real. Well, some might beg to differ, but that's why it's vital you prove them wrong, but how on earth could you do that? Mermaids are extremely rare as it is and you can never be too sure exactly where to look. That is, until, someone at a cool cafe tells you of a hotel bar in town that has mermaids. What? Are you kidding? They're just there...hanging out? Yes. They are there, hanging out, swimming behind the bar. This is your chance, to prove all the naysayers wrong, and to have a once in a lifetime experience. Needless to say, you have GREAT expectations.

You hop in your car, plug in the gps coordinates, and drive. It's not far, about 8 minutes, the mermaids are only eight minutes away. This is a dream come true. With every turn, you get closer. The red lights only stopping you for a moment, but then green again and that much closer. You arrive. The hotel clerk informs you that the bar is upstairs. You scurry quickly up the steps with childlike wonder. You turn the corner, the bouncer greets you and asks for your ID, the final road block. Nothing can stop you now. You're free to enter and all your dreams will come true.....

Well, that is, unless it's women's night and all that remains in the water is one lone merman. Are you kidding me? A merman? This has got to be a joke, hypothetical you thinks. Where the hell are the mermaids?! You sit at the bar and decide to have one drink anyway, all the while your expectations fall to the floor. Sure, you quickly come to terms because in no way is this tragic, but more humorous and best used as a fictitious story in a blog.

Whether it is something that is silly, or something that has far deeper importance, we must reflect upon these expectations. Sometimes they are unrealistic, and other times they don't have much to stand on. We have expectations of people to do something or be a certain way, but when could you ever say you were the perfect friend or the most reliable? If so, awesome, and I hope that we can show each other that respect and love, but it just doesn't always come. We're human, and we can't always stand on our own two feet.  There is something great about looking forward to things and making certain plans for yourself, but it can't be the end all. We have big events in our lives, those events are happening right NOW. You might be looking forward to a concert this weekend, which will probably be amazing, but what is going on around you at the moment?

This post is purely to get both you and me thinking. We are so creative and make up these grand ideas inside our cranium, only sometimes it gets the best of us. Let us focus ourselves more on the present. As for expectations of the afterlife and things of a deeper nature, I couldn't exactly say. I'm still trying to figure that out. But faith can be a powerful tool you have right NOW. Expectations are not always the enemy, but can be dangerous when they put us in the mindset of us getting something that will be all that we need. We are changing all the time and phases and events of life come and go. If anything, my expectation is that life will continue to surprise me; make me laugh and make me cry and make me ask more and more questions. That's alright with me. May we take time to reflect upon our expectations and how they control us and what might be unhealthy. May we expect great things with each new encounter and continue to push forward.