The time to DO is now!

Oh Captain, my captain!

That is by far one of the best lines from one of the best movies ever made, about the impact a teacher can have in his/her students. From Dead Poets Society to my Religion and Literature course team-taught by two brilliant professors, who secretly hated each other, but somehow made us journey into a crazy, mixed up mindset of curriculum development, where scripture can be compared page by page to works of classical fiction. I mean, don't you know that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is clearly the story of Creation and the exploration of the challenges in the relationship between a father and son? You knew that, right? :) Nerd moment, sorry! ;)

What does Dead Poets Society and my Rel/Lit class have to do with each other? Well, during class, our Prof quoted the famous line "Oh Captain, my captain" and you can be sure he continued to explain the essence of Carpe Diem, seize the day. No, he didn't climb on top of the desk (I did when I taught at Colegio San Jose and did make some of my students do the same!! Shhh, don't tell you know who!;))

What our professor did made even more sense, although we didn't think so at the time. He told us  NOT to get all enthralled in the whole seize the day thing, life is too short, or the current vernacular much embraced by millennials, including (Lord, help me) my 10 year old, YOLO: you only live once. PAUSE for dramatic effect. Wait, what? Right, he said DON'T make a decision because simply it feels good, or do something because you might think it's the last time you will get that chance.

I know, I know, don't like this Prof much. He continued... Think about it, he said to us. Sometimes we make stupid decisions simply because we don't think about either the consequences, or we just don't think. You gotta think. Thinking is good, absolutely, and at the moment you are faced with a decision, or at a crossroads, think before you act. CAVEAT--- from the professor and from my own personal experience, can we find a balance???

Light bulb! The balance between thinking on our feet and making a decision at a moment that may change our lives or allow us to experience own very own life and make memories.That is the main lesson here boys and girls. I think what I learned is not that life is too short, but that we only have ONE life to live. Applause for the unintended soap opera pun! ;)

My intent is definitely to keep this post light and not go into an existentialistic -over-my-head rant, but more so to say that today and lately, I have realized that for a long time I thought, and planned, and kept thinking, and thought some more, when opportunities to experience certain things in life, take chances, risk embarrassment, all in all, live, came up, I did nothing. I didn't seize the moment. I didn't live my only life to live.  Now, of course, I am still here and I get the whole seize the moment thing, but I make sure it's for the best. I do live my live, in a good, positive, respectful way.

And so, at a time where all things life-related seem to be falling into unexpectedly fitting places, I am better prepared and ready to seize the day, yell out my very own YOLO and climb on top of the desk and scream "Oh Captain, my captain!"

Now, my prayer or wish for all today is, think. Sure, think because you have to. BUT LIVE, and DO. Think and plan as much as you need to, but don't let life pass you by while you are caught up in the thinking. Personally, after thinking and thinking and overly thinking about taking a trip to see my family, I DID it! It will be short, but quality beats quantity ANY day!

Don't get me wrong, thinking and planning about what to do is OK- this is coming from an obsessive, compulsive, planner- but some times you just have to say "enough with the thinking, it's TIME FOR DOING!" The time to DO is now! :)