heavy shoulders

being by one’s self can be a scary thing sometimes. and yes, in a sense i do mean physically. i suppose no one wants to be left alone in a creepy setting or frightening place. however, i primarily refer to a mental or spiritual aloneness. for one to feel strongly about something or have a plan or idea, and be alone in quest, alone in pursuit, alone in a dream – is a terrifying thing.

how does one cope with the independence of a unique idea?

crying, though an innate response, is never really an option. sure, others are sympathetic about crying, but no one truly respects tears of passion. tears of sorrow – yes. tears of happiness – yes. but tears of passion, of perseverance, of determination to achieve a goal or dream – no. tears discredit the confidence of a dreamer – of hey have any affect a all. besides, in the case that ones dream is not shared by others, who’s shoulder is there to cry on anyway?

tunnel vision is also not an option, but equally an innate response. tunnel vision is the method by which one focuses all of their energy, time, and attention to one goal, excluding all others from line of sight. ideally, this method would be great for independently reaching a goal no one else can see. however, it is flawed. for we do not live in a tunnel. to metaphorically isolate oneself in a “tunnel” implies hat such is possible in reality – that one can actually avoid distraction and criticism. but the truth is, we can’t. we can’t not hear the criticism of others. we can’t not see the distractions of society, of culure, of life! because the truth is, as much as we want to be in a “tunnel”, even metaphorically, there is no such thing. at the very least – we serve as our own distraction and we are our biggest critics.

how does one cope with the independence of a unique idea? are there any options? is the fact that no one supports it an indicator that it shouldn’t be so?

i say no! the vision is real! the vision, for those who see it, is as real as reality itself. it has a sound, a taste, a feeling. and although it is indescribable, it…it still IS. And for the dreamer – for the one that has a vision, plan, idea, goal – they will risk almost anything to attain it. and that is what no one else understands.

it’s frustrating, and scary, to know that one is alone in thought. the most frightening part though, is the realization there is no way to cope with it. there is no option. in hindsight, Moses was slandered all he way to the Promised Land, and never even made in himself. Dr. King was criticized all the way up to the balcony on which he last stood. Malcolm X was discouraged even from within his own organization. Jesus the Christ was beaten all the way to he cross. societies ostracized the likes of Socrates, Edgar Allen Poe, Albert Einstein, Marcus Garvey, and William Shakespeare.

there is no solace. there is no comfort. there is no consolation for the dreamer, only the dream.

and in pursuit of that dream, that goal – that THOUGHT, the lack of support, the consciousness of solitude and the notion that it may never come to fruition, are all things that one must be willing to bear, willing to risk. Just to try.

sometimes we have to lose to win.