Something of significance...

I wanna be something of significance...

I want to do something worth remembering. I want to say something worth repeating. I want my life to be about something that years from now people will tell stories of. Do you ever wonder what makes a legend? Are they born or are they bred? Are they chosen or do they choose?

I have often considered myself a dreamer, but over the past year or two, ever since entering "the real world" I have found myself having to fight in order to keep the dreams alive. The dreams are what make us excited to live. The dreams are not what get us through the day, but the proof that there is something worth getting through for.

I am beginning to see why so many people settle down and begin building their lives around a nuclear location and simple purpose of building a family. This too is something I feel will be a large part of my life. The cause is noble, it is not easy, not usually glamorous, and I do believe that it is well worth it.

And yet, there is a part of me that I have vowed to never disown, it's the part of me that keeps me sane... it's my deep conviction that there is only one James Racine in the world, and God has crafted me for a specific purpose. Call it a call, call it a mission, call it a vocation or call it a destiny.

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!” -Jack Kerouac

I have collected quotes along the way of my journey. These words from deep souls before me remind me to "Never give up. Never give up. Never, never never.  (a commencement speech by Churchill in it's entirety) These words, from profound people, remind me that I am not the first, nor do I hope to be the last, dreamer.

Just this last week while spending time with my beautiful, supportive and equally "dreamy" of a wife at the Morton Arboretum Library, I found myself walking around perusing the books. Most of the books covered topics of agriculture, horticulture, ecosystems and environments. However, one set of books, not unfamiliar to me caught my attention.... no, rather, they caught me off guard and unprepared. Upon the top shelf, just out of my reach, I saw hard cover copies of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species. The books, in that moment laid on that shelf like the Ark of The Covenant in the Raiders of The Lost Ark. Suddenly I was reminded of these mere "words" that had caused a literal international crisis and hysteria. Ranging from the supreme court to the high church councils, the words and thoughts penned by Charles Darwin would forever change the course of history, convincing some to renounce their faith, some to open up their GOD-shaped boxes, and others to divorce the notions of the science community all together. Still today, schools are in a tizzy as to what they should, can, could, need to and believe they should teach the impressionable minds of students.

What was spoken to me through this experience was something I had heard many times before, but had almost forgotten about completely...

“Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order you can nudge the world a little.” - Tom Stoppard

Oh, that I might live the life God has designed for me so that when I speak and when I write, my words would be considered something... sacred.