Epic Adventures

One of my friends on Facebook is always posting status updates pertaining to her "epic adventures". She seems to have one every week at least, and sometimes even more than that.

I don't know her especially well, and we hang out it different circles, so I am not sure what the ins and outs of her life tend to be. So I finally asked her how she manages to secure all of these epic adventures.

You see, I don't. Not very often anyway. In fact, let's just leave out the epic part of it and say that I am not very often in the midst of adventure of any kind. I have tried to find adventure. I have tried to start adventures. I think we all need some sort of adventure in our lives at some point in time. On a fundamental level I think the human spirit is designed to undergo adventure on at least a periodic basis. Your definition of adventure will of course be different from my own, but by definition an adventure takes you a bit out of your comfort zone. It removes some of the certainties of everyday life. It tests your mettle in some ways.

In other words, adventures, in addition to being quite fun, expand your boundaries and help you to evolve as a person. Which is why I think all people should have them at some point. Everyone can stretch their boundaries and broaden their horizons.

I confess that I have not had much of a chance to do so. In any given era of my life adventure just doesn't materialize. So I tend to marvel at those that encounter them with any degree of regularity. Like the friend from Facebook I mentioned.

So what was her answer to my question?

"I just tend look at normal outings with friends as epic adventures."

Perfect answer. She is right. We tend to make our own sense of adventure sometimes. It is something within us, and I admire her ability to do so.

However, she is not doing it alone. She is blessed with friends that are adventurous. People with whom she spends time, and want to spend time with her.

I lack such people, by and large. Sure, I love a lot of my friends, and I feel they care about me as a person. But many of them are either too far away to use for adventure. Or are too busy. Or if neither of the above, are just not that adventurous.

The few friends that I have who are both adventurous and local honestly don't seem to invite me on any of them. (I don't include the friend I mentioned in this group...as I said our circles are very different.) But as for others closer to me that don't invite me, I guess our wavelengths are too different for them to want me around for same. Or perhaps they think I will ruin the adventure. This I confess, is sometimes hurtful and sad. Not to mention stunting to spiritual growth.

Yet I won't let it remain that way. I have a goal to find more adventurous local friends. People who define adventure in a way similar to my way. I have stagnated in life sometimes because I have not gone on enough adventures of any kind, and I know that this is partially my fault. Partially, it is the fault of having friends that don't match up to the challenge.

Yes, I know we should be able to find adventure all by ourselves, simply by contemplating the magnificence of existence. I don't fault people who can do that. I think it's admirable to be that spiritually developed. But for right now, I'm Too XYZ to be that on top of things. You probably are too.

If you have not had many adventures, join me in seeking more of them out. It's a pain in the ass, I know. It may be scary to some of you. But you must start to go on more of them. We must expand who and what we are. And we must find other people with which to do it. We must seek to surround ourselves with the adventurous types.God loves the duds as much as he loves the adventurers. And I love some of my dud friends as much as I love the action oriented ones. But let's face it, the duds don't challenge us. And in the face of stagnation, we need challenge. We need to mix it up. We need adventures. Epic adventures.