I spend a lot of time thinking about destiny.  I wonder if there really is a set plan, or if life is like one of those books where you can skip to different pages and create your own story.  After much pondering (mostly out of boredom), I’ve found that life is a mixture of both of those ideas – for better and for worse.

Most of the time, I want to know where I’m going.  I want to know when I’ll get a good job, a husband, kids, and so on and so forth.

I mean, imagine how great it would be if life were like a Google map.  You enter in a destination (i.e., wedding day, first kid, etc.) and then click and drag your desired course.  While it would be nice to know the estimated time of arrival to these events, it might be even nicer knowing if these events will take place at all.

Unfortunately, life has never been nor will it ever be like one of those maps.  While every choice we make serves as a “click and drag” function on our life maps, we won’t ever really know where our choices will take us until we end up in our respective destinations.

As convenient as it would be to set our life courses and have an ETA for certain life events, having that kind of luxury would make life a little boring.

I’m a girl who loves structure, organization, and timelines; however, I also appreciate a good surprise and not having every detail of my life planned out for me.  It’s nice when, as John Mayer puts it, I have “nothing to do, nowhere to be, a simple little kind of free.”

I don’t always like having every minute planned out for me, especially when I’m not the one doing the planning.  Our forefathers fought for freedom, and by golly I’m gonna enjoy the fruits of their labor!  Okay, so my free time may not have been the same kind of freedom that took them to the battlegrounds, but I’ll enjoy my freedom nonetheless.

The point is (if there is a point to be made), in life, you can’t customize every stop on your course or know how long it’ll take to get to your destinations.  What you can do, however, is set yourself on a right path by making good choices that will benefit you as well as your fellow life travelers.

So wherever life leads you, remember to enjoy the journey… and always have snacks.  Snacks always make the journey more enjoyable =).

Sitting at Starbucks (again), I silently asked the Lord to bring me inspiration for today’s blog.  He was quick to answer prayer as I suddenly noticed a man picking through the garbage can on the other side of the window where I sat.

He was an older man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt (in 80 degree weather) with the hood pulled over his head and a cigarette in his left hand.  He dug through without seeming to notice or even care that a small group of people sitting in the patio area where he dug was watching him.  No one offered assistance, spare change, or even pleasant conversation.

Moments later, a manager appeared and escorted him off the premises.  He didn’t put up much of a fight, but he did manage to look in a second trashcan as he was being thrown out.  Talk about tenacity.

When I see people living on the streets digging through trashcans or asking for help next to freeway off ramps, I feel two things: helplessness and wonder.

I feel helpless because I don’t have the resources to feed, clothe, or house them.  I could brush it off by thinking that it’s not my problem to solve, but so long as I’m a fellow human being, it is my problem to solve.  I suppose that in a situation like this it’s better to at least try to help than to not help at all.

And while I’m on the subject, I commend those who offer help on any level.  Your generosity reminds us that whether we’re walking pretty on Wall Street or trying to survive on Skid Row, no one is too great or too small to offer a helping hand.

Which brings me to my second feeling, the feeling of wonder.  I wonder what circumstances led that person to homelessness, I wonder if someone misses them, I wonder how far they’ve traveled, and I wonder if they’ve given up or if they believe their situation can change.

I also can’t help but wonder what if this was someone I knew and loved.  If I couldn’t help them, wouldn’t I want someone who could help them to step in?  Of course I would.

Unfortunately, I know that I (as well as everyone else on this planet) will never have the power to end poverty.  We can start helping, however, by remembering that despite a person’s station in life, we all need love and attention more than we need material things.

Having food, clothing, and shelter is optional.  Treating everyone as human beings, deserving of love and attention, however, is required.

Most, if not all, superheroes and I have many things in common: we’re only children, we fight for justice, and we’re usually the odd man (or woman) out.  There is nothing conventional about our existence and most of the time we like it that way.

Wardrobe is another thing we have in common.  Although I can’t pull off spandex as successfully as they do, all of us own the same accessory: a mask.  Batman prefers a mask with pointy ears, Spiderman prefers a full body mask, and Superman opts for nerdy chic.

Even though our masks look different, we’re all covering the same things.  We mask fear, loneliness, rejection, and sometimes the heartache that comes with unrequited love.  It is by no means an easy path to walk, especially if your true self becomes exposed to the world.

Batman may be a badass but he’s got his hang ups too.  Witnessing the untimely death of his parents sent him on a lifelong path for revenge.  Sure, he may rescue a few people along the way, but seeking revenge for his pain and loss is his true motivation for defeating the bad guys.  His battles have little to do with the common folk of Gotham City.

Spiderman’s motives for battle are a little more pure and much more relatable.  He was the kid who battled rejection and bullies long before he was bitten by a radioactive spider.  The unique thing about Peter Parker is that he can use his superpowers without his suit.  However, the power of confidence is lost on him if he’s not donning his spidey spandex.

And while I admit that I have a particular fondness for Superman, he’s one superhero who seems to have his priorities in order.  The difference between him and everyone else is that his strength is found when he removes his mask.  When Clark Kent throws down his glasses, it’s on!

Superman has weaknesses; he’s experienced loneliness, loss, fear, rejection, and is often judged for his exterior.  He’s dealt with people who only seem to call him when they need something, but he’s also encountered real love with a few close friends and family.

The reason this man of steel has been able to keep it together and focus on the task at hand is because he knows who he is.  Most people see him as the awkward, bumbling, journalist Clark Kent meanwhile he knows his inner superhero is just a phone booth spin away.  Confidence is his strength and the superpowers are just amenities.

I’m sure I will always battle fears and insecurities of the superhero variety – some battles just won’t end.  My best defense, however, will be taking off my mask and walking in the confidence that who I am is stronger and more powerful than anything the world would try to throw at me.

Now if only my confidence could help squeeze me into some super tights…

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be graduating from grad school this weekend.  Although I won’t be going to the ceremony, I still have a great sense of accomplishment… as well as a truckload of student loans.

While thinking about my journey to this place in my life, I also thought about my first college graduation.  Surprisingly, I thought more about the party after the ceremony than I did about the ceremony itself.

I thought about my family, friends, and especially the presents.  My aunt and uncle bought me a camera.  Excited as I was about the camera, the real gift came when my cousins hijacked it before I had a chance to open it and took pictures of themselves – priceless.  Other relatives gave me stuff like cash and jewelry while one cousin gave herself and I a trip to Hawaii (thank you, Lisa).  Pretty good swag for earning an undergrad degree.

But the present that stood out most in my mind was the set of luggage my grandma gave me.  So practical, so floral, and so the greatest present I could have ever received.

As I thought about this three-piece adventure set, I was saddened by how little I’ve used it.  The gift meant to encourage me to live life, travel, and see the world has spent most of its time in my back closet.

My luggage has gone to Hawaii, Oregon, Colorado, and Nevada (to visit grandma, of course), but those mini travels just don’t cut it.  It’s like living in a world where Paula Deen doesn’t cook and Justin Timberlake doesn’t sing.  Such a travesty!

The sad thing is (if I’m not sad enough already) is that I know exactly what has kept me from traveling: a fear of flying and the inability to take the time to schedule a vacation.  These are fixable things and they should be fixed, stat! My luggage wasn’t meant to sit in a closet and I wasn’t meant to stay in one place, paralyzed by fear and apathy for the rest of my life.

So now that I am embarking on a new phase in life, it’s time to add in some serious travel time in my itinerary and put that luggage to good use.  I know my grandma would much rather see me traveling the world than just reading about it…. well, so long as I visit her first =).

I went to Starbucks today hoping to find inspiration for my first blog entry.  I figured going outdoors and spending time among the three-dimensional people could only help in my quest for creativity. Little did I know, but inspiration was waiting for me at a bus stop.

After popping open my laptop and throwing back a couple swigs of caffeine, I looked out the window facing downtown San Dimas.  I was suddenly captivated at the sight of a young man sitting at the bus stop a few yards down from where I sat.  Sporting a black fedora, he sat perfectly content waiting for his ride and strumming a guitar.  This is not something one sees very often in this small western town.

Occasionally he’d pause to write, smoke, and play with his hat.  Occasionally I’d pause to write, drink, and wonder if this was considered stalking.  But I couldn’t take my eyes off this humble musician wondering if (and also hoping) I was looking at the next John Mayer.  All the greats have humble beginnings and God only knows if I just witnessed another great in the making.  I hope so.

Aside from the fact that I’m naturally drawn to good-looking musicians, what captivated me most about this guy was his peaceful demeanor.  He was simply enjoying the opportunity to play and watch the world go by.  Watching him, I was completely envious of and inspired by his ability to just play and enjoy the moment.

I often forget what it’s like to just sit and enjoy the life and talents God has given me.  I’m easily caught up in things that don’t matter and spend too much time thinking about a future that does not yet require my full attention.  I don’t want to waste time worrying about the future or the past – I just want to enjoy the here and now.

And while my talents are limited to writing and stalking musicians (famous or not, apparently), I do have the ability to make opportunities to play.  There’s no point wasting days worrying instead of playing.

So with that, I wish my musician friend well, I thank him for the inspiration, and now I’ll direct my feet to the sunny side of the street.