Living in the real world.

Posted on by dannygregory

Things that happened so long ago were real.
The pain was real.
The marks were real.
As I grew bigger, other bad things happened.
Unexpectable things. Unimaginable things.
Things that were all too real.

But the worst things seem to be the things that could be.
The sound of approaching sirens that could be heading to my house.
The boss who could be getting ready to fire me.
The smell that could be smoke.
The leading indicators that could be a sign.
The cough from my son’s room.
The phone ringing in the night.
The falling buildings.
The impending war.
The news around the clock.

Bad things happen.
But worse things could.
What does happen can be cleaned up or treated or paid for or even buried.
But what could happen must only be dealt with one way.
By refusing to fear what could be.
By accepting that all that matters is all that is.
That no matter how bad it is, we will live with it.
That the world that skulks out of the midnight recesses of your head is just your creation.
And that you can put your imagination to better use.
And insist on living only in what is.

31 thoughts on “Living in the real world.”

  8. “… you can put your imagination to better use.” How true. A belief is just a thought I keep thinking. I can choose provided I stay awake, aware and focused.

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  14. Danny- you had contacted me through my blog Dear Audrey a few years ago- I’ve since taken your course and become an artist as well as a writer. This brief post, I had to stop and let you know, has spoken to my heart deeply, in a way that no therapist has been able to regarding my anxiety since my husband’s tragic death. I can’t tell you what the words mean to me, and as a writer, they encourage me to get writing because sharing our stories really matters. I will come back to these words the next time I hear the ambulance sirens while my daughter’s at school and my heart starts to race. Thank you.

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  16. Dear Danny I love your poem, and what you say is so right! I tried to “like” your post, but after I logged into WordPress, all I got was a blank screen. I don’t know if the problem is at my end, or the WordPress end, but in case it’s a WordPress issue, I thought you might want to look into it. Best Jess

    http://www.opaltones.com

    >

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  20. Profound. Simple. True.
    We all need to be reminded, over and over, that “the only thing to fear is fear itself!”
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts through this writing, Danny.

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  25. I can’t tell …what i love the most : the picture or the poem…

    “That” boy, his body posture, the facial expression is so well matched with the sensibility of …”his” words…. I’m running out of frames!

    Thanks a lot for sharing !!!

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  26. Worry casts a long shadow on a small object…like others, I love the idea of putting my imagination to better use. A beautiful poem and lovely photo (I’m thinking this might be you as a young boy). My dear friend Sandy once said that if you worry about something and the worst does in fact occur, it means you’d have put yourself through it twice. Without the worry, you only have to go through it once. Thanks, Danny.

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  28. Ohhh, I needed that!
    And especially today when the world seemed to closing in.
    And even though I know I will be strong tomorrow, I am not right now.
    Thank you so much!

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