Jade Bile

I never really thought about concepts like love or friendship or the soul.  I assumed that, since they had been defined, I would eventually discover how they related to my life.  This was a mistake, one that I realized far too late in the game.  I had always thought that love existed and I simply had to find the person with which I was meant to be, my soul-mate.  As if all of this had been preordained, I wandered about in a vain search for all of the grace that was to be my destiny.  It took me far too long to understand that the words did not create the reality, rather the reality created the words.  All of these labels were constructed so that there could be a commonly understandable term, not because they held any innate meaning themselves.  I had spent my life looking for that which was love, that which was friendship.  How foolish.  I should have simply led the best life that I could and allowed the history books to describe the relationships however they saw fit.  Everything is not for everyone.  Life is not a checklist of success, love, children, 22 friends and landmarks seen.  Life is only an expression.  It is the cause and effect of each of us upon the rest.  There is no should.  There is no expectation.  At this late date, I find it unlikely that I might affect such a fundamental change of philosophy upon the practice of my life.  Another change seems much more pragmatic.  Perhaps if I light the fires just right, I can burn away the wool of others without forever blinding their eyes.