Inevitable Spoil

"A fruit ripens, and at that very moment it begins to rot."
Someone said this and I have not been able to quit thinking about it. It is true. There is that peak moment when the fruit is completely ripe, but that is only a moment. It spends time ripening to that one moment, and then from there it gradually decends to spoil. This statement has led me to a wandering path of thoughts. What does this mean? In what context am I to take this? How does this apply to me, to you, to anyone, or to a variety of situations and experiences? After all this I think I have come to a certain understanding of it, and yet I am still unsure.
I do know this. At the very moment when we find ourselves "ripe", or we think that we have become such, it is inevitable that we will begin to "rot" and spoil. If a person can honestly think that they have achieved their peak, their very best, an area of personal perfection...they are sure to decline, to spoil, to rot. There is always something we can do better, some way to improve. We will never be perfected alone. It just isn't possible. I really believe that.
There are a host of other ways to personalize this beginning statement. Like I said, I do not think that it fits into every situation or category. It led me to an area of pondering and I thought it might do the same for you.
What does it mean?

LIGHT

"To understand the light of day, flee first the shadows."

the MAGICAL kingdom

I spent part of tonight listening to and singing along with Disney songs. My friend was very keen on the idea of convincing me that Disney movies all carry an alternative and very insightful message. It was also brought to my attention that Disney songs also carry messages which should be learned. At the end of the whole thing...I think I believe it. I suppose this can be said about anything---you can tailor anything and find a personal message in it. You can take it and apply it to any situation and make it somehow useful. I found this to be especially true with those Disney songs and movies. The purity and simplicity of their content is really much more complex than any child realizes. They really do hold real valuable messages. I guess I was somewhat converted tonight. I am not a 'born again disney freak', just more of a believer. More of a believer that there are lessons to be learned all around us. There are experiences every second of every day that can hold a message for us to make real and useful in our lives. This is not saying that we should overanalyze and miss the real living part of things. I am merely saying that we really do have a lot of resources out there which can be internalized and help to positively influence us. Who knew it would start with Disney? MAGIC

surprise

I welcome the warm weather! Just last week I wore a pair of shorts that I had not worn since last summer. At some point I put my hand in my pocket, only to find a great surprise...a $20 bill. It automatically made me feel lucky. It wasn't the fact that it was $20, but rather that I had something I had not counted on. Kind of like when you find a penny on the street (especially if it is heads up). A surprising sign of good luck. It's a good omen for the day. Never underestimate the power of an unexpected surprise.

PaiNt

I recently started painting again. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and how incredibly therapeutic it is. It allows some sort of seperation from everything else. There is power there. My living room is a mess, I end up with paint all over my hands and arms, I have ruined a couple of shirts...and I don't even care. It is great. Liberating. Freeing. Enpowering. To look at something I have painted you might not think that it means much more than paint on a canvas, however everything I create holds meaning. It encompasses some emotion...fear, pity, dislike, frustration, joy, enlightenment, achievement, peace. There is always a story there. It is not always a story to be told, but often one to be discovered by the viewer.