Stagnation

There's been a topic of conversation hover crafting over my recent escapades around the states. As I see friends in different locations, engaging in a pursuit of various life tracks, it seems that many people are evaluating their experiences based off of a fear of stagnation. We are young; we are like rivers of change and emotion, charging through unfamiliar territory and carving out paths as we course through this world. So, as we look for "what's good" and attempt to identify and understand our direction - whether we believe it is predetermined or established and adjusted constantly through our actions and choices - most people around me seem to be running from stagnation.

Stagnation: the state or condition of stagnating, or having stopped, as by ceasing to run or flow.

After reading that definition, it seems very fitting that I chose to compare us to rivers. The fact is that after the world has been "revealed" to us through academia or the traditional American university experience, some people seem to revel in that educational mind expansion insofar as the diploma is hanging in front of them like a carrot and then "call it quits". At least, this is what it looks like to the army of good liberals who then wish to strike out into the world and further that intellectual inquiry. The notion of settling down and establishing oneself in a career track, popping out the 2.5 kids, and holing up behind a white picket fence world with another good college graduate seems like shackles, and we shun it in attempt to understand what gives meaning to this world. So many twenty somethings embark on a wanderlust journey defined by the road, traveling in a restless world to avoid the stagnation cloud hovering overhead. But, as I question the placement of organs like hearts, and foundations of "home", I also wonder where on this road we find actualization? Is there a place or location that is in alignment with our needs for identity and can offer our restless minds the intellectual stimulation for long enough to keep us avoiding a bland existence?

Coming back to Flagstaff, and falling for the place all over again begs the question of - is this enough? Is there an adequate amount of stimulus here at 7,000 feet to keep us from feeling stagnant? For my friends who reside here, the overarching consensus is that it does not. The gap between the college aged youth and the young families doesn't leave breathing room for the twenty somethings who are looking for movement and challenge. Perhaps due to the lack of jobs that would allow for upward mobility, Flagstaff seems to have a gap in opportunity for those "fresh out of college" types. In any case, those who find themselves in northern Arizona after parading around in a cap and gown, seem to have stagnation on the brain - a fear of getting "stuck" in both a physical and mental sense.

I don't think this is unique to Arizona. I don't think that pine trees and route 66 mark the spot for floundering. I believe that we are all faced with the fears of stagnation at one point or another, regardless of location. I felt the same thing in Thailand, just as I converse with friends about the topic here. I worried that I could get stuck on a tropical island and never push myself to grow, just as I could surround myself with mountains and follow the same screenplay. The reality is that we can be stagnant no matter where we are. Here's the thing though, but I'm starting to think it comes down to like-minded accomplices. I think we can keep the stagnation storm at bay as long as we surround ourselves with people who challenge us. For myself, it has always come down to finding like minded people to help cultivate intellect, encourage pursuing those "out there" ideas and crack pot notions. Can we be deep and intellectual on our own? Sure, I believe we can. I don't think the classroom is a prerequisite for intellect, nor do I believe we are defined by others, however I do believe that these feelings of stagnation can be diminished by the right kind of environment.

Flagstaff might not offer that, just yet, at least. It might be a place I could come back to 10 years down the line and feel satisfied, but for now, the need for a greater community of "on the same page" people is calling me away, just as it is for my friends here. It's good to identify that. It helps me to understand what my priorities are.

So, for the next bit of time, I relinquish my decisions to the power of the water. The monsoons here - the music of the raindrops, cracking lightening overhead, and the rolling thunder consume my thoughts, remind me of the restlessness of my ways, and keep me charging forward, directed by the course of the river within me.

Question of the day: what do you do, in your life, to avoid stagnation?