Progression.

Self-published recollection of a “learned” man.

It’s that time of year. (essay?) No, I speak not of the season of overpriced gifts, nor the aspect of gift giving as a whole. I speak not of the holiday season that has turned into nothing more but a reason for increased commercialism and the opportunity to manifest your feelings toward another through the amount of money you decide to spend. I speak not of the abundance of seasonal dishes and the subsequent weight, nor the resulting resolutions for a new year that are statistically bound to fail.

(Trust me, if you had to wait for a certain day to start something, then you’re going to fail. If you really want to start something new, then start now.)

I speak of the one and only time of reminiscence. Of memories. Of recollection. It happens many times a year, yes, but mostly during the end of the year when one realizes another year is passing once again, always in a manner that one “can’t believe how quickly” it has. 

Rather than go into specifics, I purposely will generalize this entire post for the sake of sounding… plus amiable, if you will. Or perhaps to help emphasize the intention of this post.

I began with a goal. I failed the goal. I began with new goals. I failed those goals. I started more goals, and eventually, followed through with the ones that truly mattered.

I began with people, I lost people. I found new people, I lost people once more. I found more people, lost more people, then eventually realized the amount of people I ended up with was worth more than the entirety of the situation.

Through teaching I learned, yet through learning I taught. 

I led, I followed. Perhaps to and from places that should never have been, yet these journeys are yet worthwhile.

I lied, cheated, stole in many ways or another(s). Many times with consequence, others with none.

Ultimately, I experienced more than I have in this past year than I have in any other, for it is because of these prior years that I can now experience what I currently have. 

Rather than focus on things that we could have done but didn’t, let us refer back to the beginning of this post. Do it now. You are lucky enough to have lived through this year only to be given yet another. If regret is what you feel you are left with at the end of the year, fear not. You have been granted- through whatever reason, divine intervention, or sheer luck- yet another opportunity to accomplish whatever it may be you wish.

Through this year long journey, we have all gained. We have all lost. We have all taught. We all have learned. We have all led. We have all followed. We have all experienced.

No one should be left claiming they want this year to end except for one reason - this year has already taught us what we need to know , perhaps for the next.

Forgive me for sounding profound, but I guess this year has led to only one inevitable conclusive fact.

Enfin, yes, it may have taken me an absurdly large amount of time to realize this simple fact, but if this is the result of this year, then I feel that I have accomplished more than I have initially believed. I shall leave you all (not that it matters) with this one simple, yet effective philosophy/mentality to end the year for this seldomly used blog and conclude this post:

If every single experience in this life were to have purpose, it should be only one: to teach us something we have yet to learn. To learn is to live. To live is to learn.

Have a happy holidays and to those who celebrate it,

Merry Christmas.

-Richard