This weekend I had the unique opportunity to reconnect with an old friend of mine. He has always been close to my family but given that he's a few years older, he was never really that close with me. The visit left me in shock, awe and amazement.
This man was an unexpected inspiration to me.
He has had a colored past and has enough material for one heck of a book. He has had his ups and downs, made more mistakes than he wishes he had and he has had to start over on more than one occasion. Previously, when I thought about him, I thought about the pattern he had created for himself and the future I wondered if he'd get.
And now, having spent an afternoon with him....I'm completely impressed and almost jealous.
Because, you see....I don't know a single person who hasn't made a mistake. The difference between this friend and everyone else is that he made mistakes, he was caught making them and he paid the price for it. This happened several times. And instead of looking at his life as what it had been or what it could be, he looks at his life as what it is going to be now. He spoke to us with honesty about his experiences, expectations about his future and acceptance of his past.
How many people do you know exhibit that type of accountability? He sat there and talked with us and completely owned every mistake and accomplishment as if they were just another chapter of his life. He didn't make excuses or promises and definitely looked at the world differently than I did. I can only say that I wish I could be that free.
I applaud him, no, I salute him for his openness, his outlook and his attitude. It was inspriational and pure.
I can only hope that one day, we all can reach his level of clarity. Here is this man that has the world ahead of him. Where some people would consider themselves in the middle of their life, he has the unique opportunity to write his own story...for himself and for those around him. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
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