Grace Under Pressure

 "I thought I knew you. But I guess it's easier to see what we want than to look for the truth.You think you know me but you don't. And that means you don't know what I can do. I may not always know what I'm doing but I'll try to make things better. I can't do this alone, but if you'll take a chance on me, we can do great things together. John F. Kennedy said, "the courage of life is a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must, in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures. And that is the basis of all morality".

There are those that believe I am a failure because I still live in my parents house. I don't have a state recognized job, or formal education past a high school diploma. I have to fight for the respect of peers, and often feel looked down upon because I don't seem to be on their level. To them I say, who are you to judge me? I wake every morning, and get ready for the day same as you. I work throughout the day, I am exhausted as the sun goes down, just like you. As I hit my knees each night I go through my day with my God, and I thank him for the many new things I learned in that day he gave to me. I may not be learning the how to excel in my chosen career just yet, but I am learning how to run a house, raise a family, and create an atmosphere of unity within siblings and parents. This isn't what I wanted to be doing at 22 years old, but since I am here I will make the best of it. Because I have had to wait to "move forward" in life I find I am more driven and fearless than just about anyone else I know. It is just going to take me a little longer to reach my goals than the people around me. I will not sit and let my life rush past me forever. When my time comes I will reach out and pull the world to a halt so that I might jump in and take my place. I will graduate from college, and I will succeed in the career I choose. I will be more grateful for the opportunity of school, and having control of what is happening around me. If ever I am blessed with a family of my own I will be better prepared for what it comes with. It won't be such a culture shock, and I am truly grateful for that leg up. So don't you tell me I am a failure. The only day I will accept failure is the day I say I have not learned anything.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. 

-Ambrose Redmoon