November 10, 2011

Hold the Onions: Passion


Oh how I wanted to come up with something knock-your-socks-off interesting for this one. A hidden talent or desire never shared. I quickly realized I am an open book. No secrets. I didn't even lie to my food diary about cheating when I had one of my child's chicken nuggets. Sure enough, right there on November 10th... cheat: one chicken nugget.

Word nerd that I am, I headed to the dictionary for inspiration. Passion is first a powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger. Easy. I am passionate about my children and my family. Nothing inspires more powerful emotions in me than family. Writing and reading rank up there, too. My passion for reading was planted and fostered by my mom. Writing followed. Thanks to my upbringing, faith is also a passion.

On the flip side, I loathe onions and coffee. Not just a passing dislike, a full blown hatred. How's that for passion? I know onions and coffee never did anything to me, but I stand firm in my utter disgust just the same.

I found myself drawn to the third definition: boundless enthusiasm, the object of such enthusiasm. As boring as this may sound, I value words to such a high degree I refuse to throw them around. Boundless enthusiasm, endless devotion. Wow! I'm dedicated to many things, but endlessly? That's quite the commitment. One I save for friends and family.

Why can't I commit to more passions in a simple blog? I don't take commitment lightly, you might even say I'm passionate about it. My dad is an engineer, my mom a poet. I was raised with equal parts practical and dreamer.

If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.
Benjamin Franklin

My life summed up by Benjamin Franklin. I believe in passion, wholeheartedly support it in fact, but I think reason should be your guide. Trust your heart, but also run it past the brain. Passion should never step on a group of people or hurt, it should bring about great change and sometimes hold fast in tradition and values. Passion should never make you blind.

I'd travel to Hell and back for my family. I allow that singular passion tunnel vision. I will love them no matter what their choices are, even if I disagree or caution them. My heart will break and mend again several times, yet I will not falter.

A secret passion? I pride myself on fleeting passions. Ones that surface and resurface when I need them to. Politics, comes and goes as issues present themselves. Other times, I want nothing to do with the bickering and complete lack of getting things done. Education, absolutely, but I also believe in summertime and memories. Just yesterday I was passionate about both sides of my hair being even after I spent a half hour curling it. The next day, ponytail.

My goal, find passion when it's needed. On other days, explore. Look for a new passion and be open to it. But that's just my obviously passionate opinion.

2 comments:

Julie Glover said...

I loathe onions and coffee also. I would add roaches to my full-blown-hatred list as well.

I love this line, Tia: "Trust your heart, but also run it past the brain." That's exactly how I am as well! In fact, I have taken personality tests that say I am even-brained (neither right, nor left) and I'm even on thinking and feeling in my judgments. However, I consider myself passionate, just reasonable too.

Tia Bach said...

Thanks, Julie! I want to always go with my heart, but not without the filter of my brain. I want to teach my three daughters the same!