Irreplaceable.

You ever have something that’s irreplaceable? Like really and truly, irreplaceable? No, no, no, no, no — we’re not talking about like a lover, or a toy, or you know, like a special rock! Something like your parents, or your soulmate. Something like your first kiss, or the first time you cried while reading a story. Something like how one time, when you had a splinter in your finger, and your second grade teacher (whom you coincidentally had a crush on) took your tiny little second grader hand and had you look at that splinter. She then explained that, yes it hurts, but your body will eventually naturally push it out!

You know, those indescribably beautiful moments or people that for some reason imprint on your memory. You can recall these things as if they happened yesterday, but you can’t remember certain things or people you passed yesterday.

So I’ve been wondering, what makes those moments happen for us? What’s the mix of emotional investment, novelty, and time frame that makes those things seems like they’re written in bold in our memories?

And I’m going to level with you. I have no idea. But what I do know, is that they only occur when we step out of our norm. When people interact with us, or we interact with things in a way that is outside of the baseline.

So, I’ve slowly been harnessing that within myself. That willingness to step out of the norm and paint a target on my back for abnormal experience.

I have so much desire in life, and the hand I’ve been dealt, while not the worst, has been shit. Nothing has ever come easy for me. Certain thinking things, I was gifted. But with the body, and with other people? I work at least 5x as hard as anybody else, and still I struggle to find the baseline. I’ve spent so long trying to figure out the proper mental models and mental capacity to be the man I aspire to be in the world. And still, I struggle. But I don’t care. Because the higher the mountain, the greater the glory. The harder the struggle, the sweeter the victory. And never, ever is it about the destination. It’s about who you become along the way.

So, the next time you step outside, be sure to step outside your baseline. Get overly excited with kids! Teach them something they will remember. Have that glint in your eye that denotes a passion for life and a clarity of mind. Give it your all, and even if you fall short, you’ll have something to be proud of.

Hold your head up high. You’re not your mistakes.

Stay warm.
DC

(Paintings that I photographed are by https://www.instagram.com/10000_snakesart/