the promises i made
when i was young and unafraid
i hurt so many hearts
and even my own could not escape
it comes to me now

i've seen, i've heard
and now i've finally learned
they're only words
i've crashed, i've burned
and now i've finally learned
they're only words
unless they're true

Beckley-Lamm-Wilson, They're Only Words
(words/music by Carl Wilson & Phil Galdston)

After the Flood is Gone
It's a little known fact that, according to the Bible, Noah and company spent months and months locked up in the Ark after the "40 days and 40 nights." The rain had stopped, the flood receded a bit, but there he stayed until he got the sign from above he was looking for.

My 40 days and nights might be over, but I'm still in that metaphorical "waiting" state. Tom Petty had it right, didn't he? "The waiting is the hardest part." Maybe I'm having the "pre-30th birthday jitters." It isn't all that far away, you know. Now, I'm not going to whine and moan about how my life isn't where I thought it would be. Because, to be honest, I had no clear idea of where I wanted to be by 30. Diana Scharf Hunt said, "Goals are dreams with deadlines." Well, I had half of that equation. And, I payed the price for that lack of vision.

To be fair to myself, I had a lot to learn about life. And I've always been a "take things in my stride" kind of person. I'm glad that in my "Kwai Chang Caine-like" wanderings, I've learned that I'm not the only person on earth with my peculiar disposition. The question then becomes, "What are the positive parts of my character and how the heck do I use them to actually make some kind of impact?" as I wait for that sign to come.