Passion

No Slatington today. This weekend I saw the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” and it inspired me to write, instead, about the passion in our lives.

For those of you who don’t know, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a movie about the band Queen and, in particular, its lead singer Freddie Mercury.  It gave me a lot more insight into the life and struggles of  Mercury. It is a wonderful movie and the thing that stood out the most to me was Freddie Mercury’s passion for life. Whether it was his music, his desire for fame, the love of his life, his passion to explore boundaries, his love of family…whatever he did, he did with passion.

I love to see that in my fellow man. Whether it is the traffic cop who dances while he works or the kid whose goal is to honor all veterans’ graves in cemeteries in his state, their passion is amazing.  Whether it is the man or woman climbing Everest or the person collecting salt shakers from every nation or earth, their passion is inspiring.  Whether it is a scientific research team trying to cure cancer or the kid in ninth grade trying his or her best to make the soccer team, their passion is wonderful.

I usually watch CBS Sunday Morning on Sunday night. The show is filled with stories about people whose lives are filled with passion. The collectors, the artists, the entertainers, the writers are all covered on this show.  But, more importantly, it shares stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  Here’s one. The woman who has waited outside her home, in some small town, every morning, just to say hello to every student going to the bus stop. This has gone on for like fifty years! Passion.  Or the man, in his nineties who has run every…single…day…of his life since high school.  Passion. The couple who has ridden at least one roller coaster in every state in the union. Passion!

I am 66 and still looking for my passion.  Maybe that is why I love seeing it in others because I have rarely seen it in my own life.  Oh, sure, I really like a lot of things and I have been in love in my life, but that is not the same as having a passion. A passion that you cannot put aside, that you can’t ignore, and that you can’t live without. I suppose the closest I have come is the year I celebrated turning 50 by training for, and running a marathon.

When I see a movie, like Bohemian Rhapsody, when I read a wonderful book; when I see great art; when I read about people overcoming odds; the passion  that lies within me gets sparked. But, alas, it always fades in a few days.  Maybe, getting older, with time running out, will make a passion catch fire.  I guess we will have to wait and see!

I hope you all have found your passion and that it drives you to do great things.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to leave me a comment!