Passion

Off and on throughout the day I have been thinking about what I was going to write tonight. Waiting for something interesting or exciting to happen... looking for blog fodder stolen from everyday experience. Unfortunately, I've been too busy to see things at my naturally skewed angle. I've had too much Serious Business to take care of to put my own silly twist on life, to take the mundane and spruce it up with the funny.

But wait... there is a daily occurrence in my life that most people would find quite odd. First period PE.

No, I do not participate. As a matter of fact, one of my prep periods is first period. Which is quite nice. I show up to work "on time" and have that early hour to get things accomplished, and prepare for my day. Typically, one of the first things I do is go for a nice little walk to the front office to gather any waiting goodies from my mailbox. On my way, I pass the first period PE class running their laps around the quad. Why they run around the quad instead of the basketball court or football field I have no idea, but they do, and I am glad they do.

You see, that particular class is also an "A-PE" class... Adapted PE... for the mentally and physically disabled students. It is a mainstream class for the disabled students who can handle it. There are two students, that I have noticed, in this class who run with all the other kids, but have their own special flair. Flailing arms, laughter, and one even makes racecar sounds while he's running. It makes me giggle every time.

Some people might find my laughter inappropriate. Some might even find it mean. But, before you judge me, know where my laughter comes from. This is not malicious laughter. I am not laughing at these students, and I am most definitely not laughing at their disabilities. I am laughing at their sheer delight in running. I am laughing at the fact that these teenage kids run with abandon, they yield to the delight of the freedom they are experiencing. These students do not worry about what anyone else is thinking, it doesn't matter to them if they are "doing it right" because just doing it gives them enough pleasure.

I love to watch people do the things they enjoy with passion. It is the joy and the pure innocence in that joy that I appreciate, every morning. I highly recommend that everyone find someone that they can look at at least once a day, and appreciate their passion.

I suppose that is one of the things I love about faire. To wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and watch people practice their craft, with passion and with joy, fills me with a lust for life that can't be matched. Somehow, I've managed to surround myself with people who are passionate and live with that type of joy all the time. Cami's writing, Amber's improv, Newcastle's musicians, Glen's quest for the funny, CSB's cooking (among MANY other things), and so many others in my life remind me that life is about having a passion, and enjoying that passion freely.

Today I remind you. Find your passion, and enjoy it with abandon.