Day #167/365 - Hoop Dreams

Day #167/365 - Hoop Dreams, originally uploaded by Jerome Love.

DISCLAIMER: If you're looking for something to go along with this photo, the words below have really nothing to do with it. I'd read it thought.


I'm in a rut, funk, ditch, hole, etc. I really don't know what it is. If I'm honest with myself, I think it has a lot to do with this statement. I chatted with my friend Paul last Sunday and he said this to me.

Paul : How are you doing man?

Me : Honestly, I'm feeling pretty weird lately. Just funked up. I don't what it is.

P: It happens. You know i was thinking something the other day as I was driving.

Me: Yeah?

P: You know, to get where we are (or where we want to be) we constantly have to make the right decision. One after another, everyday. It's a battle, a struggle. The worst part is that one bad decision, a single horrible idea, one little thing, can discredit all the good you've done. All of those decisions, they're done for, wiped clean. Just because of one bad one.

Me: Yeah?

P: Yeah.

Me: Man, you have no idea how relevant that is to me right now. Why couldn't we have had this conversation a two weeks ago? A week ago? Four days ago?

P: (Laughs) Well I'm glad I encouraged you now.

While I don't believe that a single small mistake may change the course of your life forever, I do believe that character mistakes can do so. We're human, we make mistakes all the time. We forget to buy milk when we're at the store, we forget to do some homework, we said something we didn't mean, we did something we shouldn't have done. Those things happen on a daily basis, I get that.

But the things you really have to watch out for are character mistakes. How often do you mistake your character? How often do you walk away from something and wonder, "Why did I even think about doing that?" How often have you asked yourself afterward, " Who am I?"

That's the thing, I don't think we're designed for questions like that after actions. I think our actions should be defined by questions like that and not vice versa. If you've never had any of those questions ( I highly doubt it) then thanks for stopping by. If you have, I'm right there with you. It just seems to be happening more than naught lately.

I'm nineteen (nearly twenty!) and I'm at a point in my life where these questions come up everyday, every hour, I'd say every minute some days. They should though, I think you (and close friends) should constantly keep yourself in check with your character, your goals, your "you."

But these questions should define your actions, your decisions, your "you". These past few weeks, they haven't. If that's you, I feel you.