Setting The World on Fire

Looking again at the way I'd signed off in my last post, I realized that "setting the world on fire" is something of a misnomer. Usually it's a phrase applied to very young people, graduates of ivy league colleges, game-changing software engineers or meglomanics who want to take out a bunch of people in as painful a way a possible. It probably also features in the dreams of those who feel that nuclear war is a viable option. So I need to come up with another way of describing how I plan on re-launching myself back into the world.

Truthfully, inertia is a misnomer as well. For while I haven't been doing a lot of anything I can point to - like a well-manicured lawn - or, as is the case in winter snow, a well-shoveled driveway - I have been working very hard to change the way I approach the world. I truly believe that whatever attitude, behaviour, action or energy one gives out to the world, you get it returned to you without fail. So it behooves me to approach the world in the best manner I can manage. It makes living that much nicer. And...there is that small matter of healing. Healing after my surgery, definitely. And there's also been healing going on from living in ways that made my life more an obligation than a place where magic is possible.

I've also been learning that there are other ways of living. There are many, many people living in the United States who do not go to an office every morning. Who do you think all those people are out on the streets every day. They can't all be tourists, can they? There are others who work solely from home, creating their schedule as they go. There are others who have jobs that even I don't know about that have them earning a living without wearing a suit-and-tie (or its equivalent) and reporting to the "man" or the "woman" everyday.

Yes, of course, there are many different industries that I haven't even considered. You see, I grew up in an area where the office was king. Everyone (seemingly) aspired to great success in the white collar world wherein money could be made, luxuries achieved and escape from the lower classes was possible. In fact, it was almost a prerequisite for living. [Yes, we do have a class society here in the United States - it's just economic rather than politely correct upbringing as in England. It's more about hard cash than family blood lines.]

Now, I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this. Except I've come to understand that there are other ways of living. I just need to suss them out. I'll let others set the world on fire. One time honored way would be to marry very well - i.e. rich - and not worry about making a living. However, that possibility is not available at the present time - nor am I at all certain I'd be willing to make the requisite trade-offs. I'm a romantic. If I'm to marry, it would have to be for love. Surely there's a place in this world for an honorable woman with a big heart, a facility to learn and grow, a willingness to work hard, who has a desire for variety and an eagerness to live to earn her way in the world - perhaps even thrive.

The secret here is finding that direction. Then who knows? I may just set the world on fire one of these days. To use the old arrow and bow parable (or is it analogy?), once I find my target, I believe the bow will appear to fire me winging on my way. I am creating it.  Should be an interesting ride.