I wish I had a river I could skate away on

There's an eternal battle that I think most people wage throughout their lives, one that never really goes away, and even when we know the outcome, once in a while we still have to face it.

The battle has to do with deciding what kind of person we are, when it comes to... well, decisions.

I subscribed myself, and have for a couple years now, to "the flow", as I call it. I once had a conversation with a friend about how I look at life like I would a river. It can be calm and slow going, either through some beautiful places or some boring places, or even ugly, unpleasant places. And the river can have it's fast moments, pick up into rapids in no time, going so fast you don't even notice the scenery that's passing you by, WHICH can have its benefits. If the scenery sucks, you don't want to worry about that as well as surviving the rapids, do you? it can also have its downsides, such as, if you pass something by, an opportunity that needs to be perfectly timed so that you escape the rapids in time to catch it.

Once in a while though, a person needs to take a break from the river, to get out of the water and just feel the solid earth beneath your feet. It's this part I've always had a problem with. I like the water, I stay in it as much as possible, so I'm not always sure how to deal with the lack of movement on the ground. I guess I'm not so grounded, haha!

Now, I've shared my little River analogy. But the eternal battle isn't so much with dealing with the flow, as it is in dealing with one part of the flow, which I mentioned earlier in the rapid scenario:

passing opportunities.

There are, in the most basic sense, two ways to go through life. Taking ricks, or following logic. A lot of people follow the logical route. In this way, a person can be capable of avoiding rapids. They plan their route ahead, looking for these rough areas ahead of time so that, when they finally have to face them, they are more prepared and sturdy for it.

I do this. We all plan ahead to a degree.

But then there's risk taking. You don't have to be a risk-taker to take a risk. Let's say you planned ahead, you followed all that logic, and you're floating along, and it turns out that the river has recently become swelled, for reasons beyond your control, and the water has become rough, faster, churned, just plain different. It's unexpected, it's new, and it's changing things. you may find that the route you planned has merged with another path, another river that flows freely according to itself.. and it brings some things with it.

We're back to that problem in the rapids, where the water may be too fast to take up an opportunity. But this water isn't that fast, you can see a chance coming up... another path... and the other river is going there, and it looks good, but it's not what you planned...

what do you do?

I used to think I was only a logical person, that I wouldn't be stupid enough to fall into things that had no way to survive, no point to them, and had no benefit to me. And I even though I could avoid those that may benefit me for a while, but may delay me as well.

Frankly, in the last year or so, I've figured out that I have time. I can afford delays, nothing can really delay me that much. I go with the flow. I'll go where my river takes me. Because I enjoy "going with the flow", this can leave me in confusing times... but I accept the confusion, and I try to enjoy it the best I can.

It's all experience, and I like experience.

And I recommend it. You can only plan so much, only paddle for so long before something gives, either your muscles or the paddle... so it's good to learn to go with the flow as early as possible.