I have always been the type of person who is constantly wandering, searching, and yearning for more. Never truly content with what I have, never truly satisfied with who I am, and plagued with a constant yearning – a craving for something more, something to make my life a work of art, something beautifully profound and meaningful, something to make people remember me by.
In the past, I have prided myself on the fact that I am one of the realistic few who accepts that nothing lasts forever. That not all things are meant to last and most of the time bad things die, and good things fade away or turn to dust. It’s like, Robert Frost said, “nothing gold can stay.”
Nothing gold can stay.
Lately, I have been wondering about this though. Is it true? Is it a realistic point of view or is it simply a self preservation technique? In the world we live in, it is difficult to remain an optimist, a believer, and a person of faith. It is so often that, the bad outweighs the good, the obstacles become too much to overcome and the hurdles, just too much to bear.
Nothing gold can stay.
We are all doomed, but only because we do it to ourselves.
The constant craving, the tedious dissatisfaction that is deeply rooted inside ourselves, it does not nourish us. It destroys. That constant wondering of ‘what else’ is out there, or ‘who else’ could make you happier, or ‘if only’ I could leave this place, it will kill you. With a mind, and a heart like this, you will never be truly happy.
Nothing gold can stay.
Nothing gold can stay, because you wont let it.
Look around you. Where ever you are in life right now, wherever you are reading this, stop. Look up, look around, observe the people, the smells, the delightful trickle of your coffee brewing, your dog hogging the couch, the strangers who are holding hands as they walk down the street, the smell of the rain coming in the far off distance, the blazing sun illuminating your skin, your comically cranky boss who is so very deeply alone, the smell of freshly baked cookies in your tiny kitchen, the cry of a new born baby, your tiny apartment that you feel at home in, the bustling city streets, the moo of a cow on a small town farm, the wind messing up your just combed hair, the contagious laughter of your best friend.
This is your gold.
And it can stay, but only if you let it.
Only if you open your eyes, your mind, your heart to the little things. The little things that matter so much more than most of us realize. In this moment, you can be happy. You can.
One day, you will travel. One day, you will fall in love. One day, you will get your dream job. One day, you will start a family. One day, you will find a book that changes your life. One day, you will have more money. One day, you will be a better student. One day, you will be a better musician. One day, you will be smarter. One day, you will go see your favorite band in concert. One day, you will live in Italy. One day, you will graduate college. One day, you will change the world. One day, you will feel alive. One day, you will find what you are looking for.
One day.
Nothing gold can stay, if you wait for one day.
One day is coming, don’t you worry. But if you don’t stop to appreciate what you have right here, right now, then one day will never be enough to satisfy you and you will waste your life waiting on a string of one day’s to come and give your life meaning. All we have is right now.
All we ever have, is now.
This is your gold.
Let it in. Let it stay.
Nothing gold can stay, if you wait for one day.
Remember what Johnny says to Pony Boy in The Outsiders? (If you haven’t read it, you should.)
“Stay gold, Pony Boy. Stay gold.”
Editor’s Note: A special thanks to the person who inspired me to write this. You know who you are. Here’s to a chance that maybe we’ll find better days.
Life Scribbles 