Being a Grown Up

A while back, I posed a question about what it means to be an adult.  While that post didn't generate as many answers as I hoped for....... a recent experience shed a little light on this whole, mystical, "grown up world" that I am so conflicted in regards to my membership.

I had a rather unpleasant "grown up" experience the other day, one in which most adults are supposed to experience once they reach the ripe old age of 50.  I'm not 50 yet.  Nor am I all that close to 50.  But my medical history dictated the need for the nasty test known as a colonoscopy.  Now, the test itself isn't too horrid, but the day before?  The preparation?  It was N-A-S-T-Y.

But I did it.

And I survived.

And while I did NOT enjoy one single part of the whole experience, I knew it was something that needed to be done.

In other words......

I took care of myself.
I acted like a grown up.
Cause one of the requirements of being a grown up is taking care of yourself.

I may have "grown up" in the taking-care-of-my-body department..... which is definitely a positive step........ now.... to learn how to be kind to myself in the process of taking care of my body?  That's a whole different ballgame.... in fact, I don't even think we're on the baseball diamond anymore......

Sigh.................

Blackbird?

I was out for a walk with The Pup this afternoon and noticed a few blackbirds enjoying the patches of sunshine.  The song Blackbird instantly popped into my head and I've been humming it ever since.

This lyric has been stuck in my head: 

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

It took me by complete surprise how profoundly this lyric struck me.  My mom is a huge Beatles fan, so I've been listening to them since birth.  I enjoy their music, but I'm not a die-hard fan.  There is definitely some significance of this particular lyric, the part about these broken wings, and learning to fly?  Only waiting for this moment to arise?

Might be obvious at first glance, but methinks something is percolating in this chaotic brain of mine...  something more significant than face value of the words printed here....

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Challenge 10, Part 4: Inspiration

We've all had our challenges. We've all faced our demons. We've all been through things we wish we didn't have to experience. We've all had our share of sadness, of frustration, of fear.... And somehow, if you're reading the words I've written, it means we've all survived, too.

If we've managed to survive some of the challenges, chaos, and trauma of our life before, well then, we're likely going to find a way to survive whatever else comes our way. We do not need to be reduced to our problems. We can use our problems as ways to boost up ourselves as we overcome them.

Easy work?  Hell no. Worthwhile? Hell yes.