Rediscovery

Life is a constant process of self-discovery. And, sometimes that process leads us to rediscover what was once obvious.

As long as I can remember, I've been an avid reader. For that I can blame my mother. But, despite being one of my passions, at various stages of life I've neglected it. The daily motions of life sometimes get in the way of what really makes us happy.

The most recent estrangement began in law school. Yes, I read in law school. Quite a lot. But, between legal texts and social shenanigans, I rarely read for pleasure. Then, after getting a job that consumed most of my waking hours, the pattern of not reading for fun was amplified and extended.

But, in the past year or so, as my workload has eased, I quickly fell back into my natural habit: spending countless hours of the day reading. And, more visibly to my friends on Facebook, writing.

It was never a secret -- to me -- that I love to read and write. But, nonetheless, it took a long period of rediscovery to uncover practices I long knew brought me joy.

And, I could go on and on about other loves lost and found. But, on a broader level, seeking to rediscover can be just, if not more, powerful than regular discovery. Undoubtedly, trying new things is an essential part of growth. But, rediscovering our roots can also open up new possibilities.

Now, I didn't mean for this post to get political, but here we go. In a time when politics is so pervasive it inadvertently enters an essay on self-discovery and is so divisive old friends stop speaking, perhaps it is time to remember how we used to coexist. Even if we don't discover solutions to new problems by digging in the past, perhaps we may nonetheless find a few gems worth polishing.

* * * * Note on this blog: I understand the name philosopoety is a bit pretentious. But, its descriptive of what I'm hoping to accomplish. Sometimes, I'll write essays such as this one. At others, I'll write poems. If I'm successful, the line between the two might get a bit blurred. But, in all cases, for my own sake, I hope to keep writing and using a forum that isn't Facebook. If I'm lucky, someone out there might decide to read. To renewed beginnings.