What If Jimi Hendrix Had Lived Longer?

There seems to be an age as a young adult that we begin to believe that maybe, just perhaps (although with reasonable doubt), we are not invincible.  Unfortunately, this realization is usually accompanied with the death of someone dear.  This past weekend a high school student at ISD died in a moto accident. Over the past couple of days, I have witnessed many young students dealing with this for the first time.  It is never easy.  It is even harder when you recognize that the full potential of someone was never realized.  Communities big and small are shaken by these tragedies, and no matter how sad one is, the truth we try to ignore is always looming- this is not something new and it will happen again.

Did I intend to write a somber blog post this evening? No. It has been over two weeks since I last posted anything, and this post is more to do with realizing how beautiful, yet fleeting, life can be.  I do not believe that anything is predetermined.  I may remark that the odds are in your favor, but Lady Luck is nothing more than symbol alluded to by countless authors (and myself!).  In recent years I have just always been struck by a truth, well, I suppose it is a personal truth.  I do not like saying I will do something "later," unless it is a chore, then I do not mind.  When something is on my mind I do not like to ignore it, I would much prefer to acknowledge the thought bouncing around in my head. We have all read the books, seen the movies, and skimmed the news articles about countless people who were always working towards a better and brighter future. I ask you this, what good is your future if your present is dismal? Personally, I think that my present life is a beautiful thing! Although getting out of bed can be a drag some mornings, with a little bit of help from my good friends James Brown, Thurston Harris, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, that initial laziness is soon swept away by a steaming bowl of oatmeal and a fresh banana!

I guess that I just try to live everyday to the fullest, I mean, why wouldn't I?!  But just think about it.  For instance, how many times have you passed by something on your daily commute and never stopped to check it out? Well, why not see what it is all about tomorrow? It could close, maybe you will change your route, or perhaps you will lose the opportunity to check out the funky place, catch my drift? Or perhaps you did not try a new restaurant because it was a little pricey, maybe in a couple of months? Well, I would venture a guess that a "couple of months" will turn into a "couple of years," no? Why not splurge just once in awhile and stop day dreaming?

We certainly need a fair balance of living for the present and being aware of the future. I would not argue for just one or the other, but I do think that it is a shame when we overlook one for the other...

I certainly hope that this blog post was not too much of a downer, it is merely a summary of my musings the past two days. And you may be wondering about the title? Well, imagine if Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Aaliyah, Tupac, and (dare I say it?!) Amy Winehouse had all lived longer? What did music lose by their untimely deaths? What about all of the people we knew and have lost at too young of an age, what did the world lose by their untimely deaths?

I, for one, am just going to keep living each day like it is the most beautiful day yet.  Hopefully someone will feel the sunshine exuding from me and pass it on to someone else :)