167. Things That Matter

To you. And to me. Let's talk about it. The hour grows late, the storyteller is getting long in the tooth. The days are passing us by.

If at first, there is a feeling of trepidation, fret not, for you are in good stead. For we've been through this before. The uncertainty, it swirls before us, like pale moon shadows upon leaveless trees in autumn.

What is it that keeps us from making it so? Taking that one leap of faith that we've always dreamt of, but have always been afraid to take?

There has always been a voice in our heads, a voice of singular purpose and beauty, before doubt and cynicism had eroded its poetry and purity. It gets dimmer as the days go by, being ignored more often than not. Till at last, it shall remain forever silent, save for a few fleeting glimpses in our dreams. You know those moments. When you are reminded of your childhood, and it invokes in you a deep sense of longing for a memory that has faded away.

This voice has always been true, like the voice of clear waters (as Tolkien would put it). And if it is not heeded, if it is cast aside, if it is denigrated...you do so at your own peril. For, before you know it, it will be lost, as our youth is lost as we chase after another man's fortune.

What is it that really matters to you? Are you closer to reaching your dreams? Or have you clouded and confused your dreams with material longing? Have you reached that measure of comfort and solace from your daily routine? Have you lost that unforgettable fire that is kindled in our hearts the first day we look upon the stars in awe and wonder? Does it still burn, or are they but dying embers?

Only you can answer these questions. For the heart does not lie, no matter what the head says.