It’s better to be chasing something than to be hampered and held back. That’s what TJ Muraca says, anyway. You should know that TJ stands for Trouble Junior but he’s a dear friend so I think he’ll let that one slide. (You will, won’t you, TJ?) But, is it true? Is being held back truly a worse obstacle than having to chase something? My initial response was that some things cannot be chased down. A full stomach when your appetite craves money is the first elusive pursuit that comes to mind. The approval and respect of others is another. So is inflicting retribution. In all three cases, when you think you’ve caught your prey, there is a peace you anticipated to accompany your victory. You now learn that the peace feels farther away than ever before. So, yeah, my initial response was that I wasn’t buying it. It reminds me of Tantalus constantly groping for the water and fruit that forever just ever -so-slightly escape his clutches. Or worse, a Pyrrhic victory where in fact the spoils of your anti-victory are grapes of wrath. Being held back isn’t always an offense.
But maybe my friend’s right after all. Being stripped of your freedom to chase might be a worse fate. You no longer have the luxury of chasing things that refuse to be caught. That edict has come down upon thee. Your chasing days are done. You’re hemmed in. Try not to make a scene please.
That doesn’t feel good, eh? A type of metaphysical claustrophobia. Reading back those words, my chest tightens and a modicum of hope leaks half-heartedly out of my deflating spirit of can-do.
Roy H. Williams once told me “the saddest day in a man’s life is when he achieves his vision.” It might not have been those exact words but it was something like that. We were standing on a concrete slab outside of the Tower, still quite unfinished at this point, on the campus of Wizard Academy Roy was building in Austin, TX. He was showing me where the AC units were going to go. The Tower is finished now. It has an art gallery below ground. You really should see it.
Roy was talking about chasing a vision, your dream. Be careful, you just might get there. Then what?
So maybe the chase isn’t the answer after all.
But maybe the chase is compulsory. Just like seat belts in Canada.
We should really just ask TJ instead of doing all this speculating. But what would be the fun in that?
If the chase is crucial then it seems like we’re destined to chase for eternity. Either because we can’t cover the distance between or because we’ll never be satisfied even when we do.
Which is it’s own type of holding back wouldn’t you say?
Photo credit : Richardaolis
