Unfathomable Simple Complexities

I give them an interesting title. Absolutely I do. Both simple and complex. Dress them up. It’s a futile attempt at putting my true feelings down on paper.  I used to believe that my thoughts were so deep and original.

Haha, sometimes I wonder.

There is an argument today about whether true originality actually exists anymore or is all of today’s art (in all forms) merely copies of their predecessors? My take? Because there are still revolutionaries… still people who introduce radically new ideas in their respective fields, I believe that we have not reached our limits… and may never reach them.

My worst habit is probably that more often than not I compromise my feelings. Before they are “released” to society I dress them up.  Make them acceptable in the world’s eyes. It used to be where I would do this with not only my writing, but also with my artwork. Yet, if there’s one thing that art classes in college have taught me it’s that you are your biggest critic. All other audiences are less important.

Portrait

This a portrait of what I will do:

1. Build a brickwalkway

2. See the Foo Fighters in concert. (✓08) Meet Dave Grohl.

3. See my artwork in a gallery again (✓10)

4. Revisit Peru.(✓09) This time go to Machu Picchu.

5. Be a professor of Psychology

6. Make a mosaic coffee table (✓08)

7. Get Married ( ✓09)

8. Write a book that gains an ounce of popularity

9. Name my firstborn son Samuel Bethea Cann VI

10. Be a counselor

11. Smoke a cigar

12. Take a roadtrip

13. Sleep in a parking lot

14. Use a moleskine city notebook as a guide somewhere.

15. Find a girl at Anderson University. Get married, and forever have our alumni pages on file in the alumni office stapled together. (✓09)

16. Skinny dip

17. Go fishing in the dark

18. Become fluent in another language (Spanish✓) (✓10)

19. Beat my current record of 12 miles and run 13 miles without stopping.

20. Take a course in ceramics (✓09-10 )

21. Restore a classic car

22. Have a street or building named after me.

23. Create an online gallery of my artwork

24. Be a spectator at The World Cup

25. Pet a penguin

26. Join APA

27. Have the acoustic version of Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” played at my wedding (✓09)

28. Write a song with significance that gains an ounce of popularity.

29. Design my own house.

30. Be a spectator at the Super bowl, and EPL game, and soccer international friendly)

Obvious Now

I have to stop.
Hwy 28 on a bright, rainy Summer's afternoon.
Torrential downpour and the world is blurred.
Arms stretched out.
What is meant to be will be.
Complete acceptance.
Life goes on, I hear.

Oh, if only I knew then what's so obvious now...

Verano

It’s driving south on 85 with the windows rolled down singing as loudly as I can muster.

It’s wearing button-ups every day. Dialing long distance to places I’ve never been.

It’s coffee from a mug portraying a college I have never heard of.

It’s the taste of the occasional stick of mint mojito.

It’s applying chapstick every 4 seconds. It's a reminder.

It’s ocean energy, Irish spring, and dove. It’s a NCC t-shirt and the feeling of comfort.

It’s swimming at night and the accompanying silver moonlight.

It’s 2:00 am coffee, Coldplay, and a sketchbook. A true artist.

It’s checking that box everyday and the hope that goes along with it.

It’s Fritz Pearls, Psychoanalysis, and the joys of counseling psychology.

It’s everyday silent understanding. It’s compassion.

It’s night drives in a white Lumina. It’s cul-de-sacs. Memories.

It’s seeing all these moments as beautiful.

Today Was Pristine and Yellow

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "What does that even mean??" Well, it means today was pure. Today was real.


I often say that people would be more content and happy with their lives if they simply sought the value in things. If they sought the value in the everyday. Which brings me to my next point...

Life requires passion.

It's because passion is buried deep inside all of us. Passion is, indeed, the origin of all of our shining moments. Yet, consequentially, passion also prevents us from truly knowing peace. But what is life with no passion? I try and think of my own life in the absence of passion and all I am is a shell of who I really am.

For this reason, it's the things that drive us that matter most.
It's the complexities and even the emotion. It's the passion.

Cognition

Growing up my hopes and dreams as a kid were constantly changing. I guess I was similar to other kids my age in this respect. I remember being in first grade and having "Kid Career Day." For those of you not blessed enough to have had this in elementary school, this is where everybody in class comes to school dressed like what they want to be when they grow up. I remember coming to school dressed in a little suit and tie (clip-on, of course) and telling everyone that I wanted to be a lawyer.

A few years later, in fifth grade, I got into reading about evolution vs. Creationism (I know, what fifth grader reads about those things for fun?) and then deciding that I was destined to be a world renowned paleontologist. I would be travel the world with my wife and unearth major discoveries. Sadly, this dream was short lived because my mom quickly informed me that eventually all the fossils will be found and I would end up working in some museum somewhere or writing college textbooks at home in my pajamas. Regardless, my dream was killed and for the longest time I took no stance whatsoever on what my career would be.

I remember my sophomore year of high school when a man I really looked up to and respected spoke these words, "You'll make a great psychologist one day." I don't know if he realized at the time the impact these words would have upon my life (The Butterfly Effect) because I know at the time I thought it was one of the craziest things I'd heard. It's funny how things turn out...

God's call is still one of the most amazing things to me... It's something He slowly reveals to you over time and it's not something you can really run from.

Now here I am, 4.5 years later and president of the psychology club at Anderson University.

I have never felt more fulfilled.

couple

Just when you think you understand life, life throws you a curve ball.
No matter how long you've lived or how many different things you've gone through, you can never understand life.

It's funny like that...

A lot of people will tell you that the purpose of college is academia. That isn't so. College is about life. College is more than books and exams. College is experience. Everyone learns different things from their college experience. The growth that occurs in a person during those years (whether they be 4 or 5) is irreplaceable and there is no set order of operations.