Going Up, Coming Down

You sacrifice a few things on your way to the top. It's only logical because the excess baggage will, of course, weigh you down. The circumstances and consequences vary per person and profession. This journey you will read is mine.

I started dropping precious cargo as soon as I entered college. While everyone wanted to be doctors and lawyers, I wanted to be an artist.  That, in the old days, was a big no-no.

Even bigger personal packages were thrown off when I got into the corporate world. The Dog-Eat-Dog Rat Race was crazy hectic! It promised color and vibrance, but it came with a price. (Read:  lots of overtime!)

Finally, at the pinnacle of my career, the last weight still had to be cast down. This is the time when you should lay on your laurels and...well, just lay there. You have to make way for the younger contenders to your throne, you know.

For some people, this is heaven. It was for me, too. Until I realized that I missed some things. Things I can't really go back to because I still needed to fulfill a daily face time of 9 to 5. Most times, even more. Weekends were still optional. Time sheets were still the law.

Now, if you were in my shoes, you will need to make that crucial decision:  Do you stay on board (bored?), or do you free fall?

Me?  I chose to dive.

After all, I have all my 'missed things' waiting below to break my fall.

Moral of my story? It's perfectly ok to make sacrifices to reach a goal. But always remember that someday, you will have to come back to them. When the time is right. So never, ever throw your 'loves' too far away.

NOTE:  I stopped drawing in 1986 and picked up the pen and sketch pad once again in 2010.

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