Prescribing Life Lessons: The Future is the Sequel to the Past

The raindrops burst upon foggy windowpanes, with precise improvisation. The pine trees sway back and forth like the personalities of people whom you once considered friends. Puddles of diluted oil sit on the side of the road with patience. I look around and watch her move through the elements. Floating amidst ancient ruins and synthetic skyscrapers. A breath of fresh air reminds me how important the treetops are. I can sense the future with the feelings of a psychic in training, we all can. Most of us choose not to allow ourselves to believe in our natural instincts; those that do reap the benefits of a carefully tailored reality, one stitch at a time.

All of us are seeking the existence of our dreams, but many of us fear our deepest potential. We walk down dark alleys of situational shadows, occasional consequences, and substantial circumstances. Our elders tell us to proceed with caution, and to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead, they advise us to follow the streetlights instead. My sneakers pound the cracked sidewalks of New York for hours, like they have so many times before. The city of lost dreams and fake friends can only be romantic for so long. Midnight drives on the Thruway provoke the thoughts of yesterday to break through the retaining wall of my mind. Regrets float to the surface, even when I tie them to cinder blocks of denial. They force me to reflect on the dirty mirror of my past. I’d be lying to myself if I thought that I didn’t have a purpose in this life. Headlights heading south fly past me like the jet planes of JFK International, reminding me of the fading opportunities that came and went in the blink of an eye.

The radio doesn’t work. The CD skips from being scratched. I try to avoid being alone with myself, my insecurities have been known to turn cannibalistic at times. Fear always strikes at the worst times, on a barren street in North Philly, glaring at you like the barrel of a .38 with a scratched off serial number. Fear can steal your wallet of your life; it’s up to you which one it takes. We conveniently have temporary memory loss when it’s beneficial to our agendas. Human beings are compassionately sociopathic. At times we’d rather ignore necessary conflict instead of embracing it, doing so prevents the growth that we need to evolve. When an individual donates good intentions for the wrong reasons, they’re often drowned out by hidden narcissism. People have the ability to observe more about others than themselves; it’s a dangerous paradox that destroys self-awareness. The only way to prevent this from happening is to practice being conscious of your internal core rather than your external surroundings, easier said than done.  

If the sun can escape the clouds, you can evade the depressive black hole of disbelief. Some of us are insiders and some of us are outsiders, others keep one foot in the sand and one foot in the ocean. Sometimes saltwater therapy can do more for the soul than a shrink with a notepad. Hot sand between your toes can make you appreciate the freezing depths of the Atlantic. Shooting stars and LSD can leave your soul dosed and empowered. Combinations of earth and space have created some of the most unique art in the world. A moonlit ocean gives you a feeling that cannot be recreated or synthesized.

Take what is rightfully yours without giving what you’re unable to spare. Absorb the raindrops and reflect the sunshine. Move like an April breeze through treetops, bend but never break. Be aware of external motives but concern yourself with internal intentions.  Regrets can kill you quicker than cigarettes. Don’t ever hesitate to throw a scratched CD away, especially if it’s broken beyond repair. The future is the sequel to the past, and it always has a new soundtrack.