Adventure Won't Wait
This morning I received a text message from an old colleague of mine. He had just wanted to let me know that a coworker of ours had passed away suddenly over the weekend. He died of a heart attack. He was 47.
It took my brain a little longer than usual to reconcile the information on the screen. It just didn't make sense.
He appeared healthy the whole time I'd known him. He was trim, did not outwardly have issues dealing with our stressful work environment, and was generally a pleasant guy. I enjoyed working with him. I remember he smiled a lot. He was 47. He had a heart attack.
How...?
Death is inevitable. We can take measures to prolong our lives and try to stay healthy, but genetic anomalies and cancers and car wrecks still happen.
"Adventure Awaits" is the cute little saying we placard on our walls and repost on social media before a fun trip somewhere, but I don't think it's quite accurate. It seems to imply that whenever we're ready, adventure will be there for you. No need to put off your chores, or projects, or major life milestones. It's ok that our business culture asks us to work 50 hour weeks and occasional weekends, and society crams our days full of meetings and playdates and extra-curriculars. Adventure is waiting patiently for you. After you've worked hard your whole life with no real time for yourself, adventure will be there when you retire at the ripe old age of 67.
If you make it that long.
Life is short and precious, and adventure isn't waiting for you. It's out there today. So take that vacation, go on a date with that person you like, quit that job you hate, find one that you love, go get lost in the woods, climb a mountain, ride a bike, explore a new city, or even a new country, challenge yourself, move to a new place, stare at the stars, meet new people, do things that scare you, expand your mind.
Adventure won't wait. It's up to you to join in.
It took my brain a little longer than usual to reconcile the information on the screen. It just didn't make sense.
He appeared healthy the whole time I'd known him. He was trim, did not outwardly have issues dealing with our stressful work environment, and was generally a pleasant guy. I enjoyed working with him. I remember he smiled a lot. He was 47. He had a heart attack.
How...?
Death is inevitable. We can take measures to prolong our lives and try to stay healthy, but genetic anomalies and cancers and car wrecks still happen.
"Adventure Awaits" is the cute little saying we placard on our walls and repost on social media before a fun trip somewhere, but I don't think it's quite accurate. It seems to imply that whenever we're ready, adventure will be there for you. No need to put off your chores, or projects, or major life milestones. It's ok that our business culture asks us to work 50 hour weeks and occasional weekends, and society crams our days full of meetings and playdates and extra-curriculars. Adventure is waiting patiently for you. After you've worked hard your whole life with no real time for yourself, adventure will be there when you retire at the ripe old age of 67.
If you make it that long.
Life is short and precious, and adventure isn't waiting for you. It's out there today. So take that vacation, go on a date with that person you like, quit that job you hate, find one that you love, go get lost in the woods, climb a mountain, ride a bike, explore a new city, or even a new country, challenge yourself, move to a new place, stare at the stars, meet new people, do things that scare you, expand your mind.
Adventure won't wait. It's up to you to join in.
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