What does it mean do take risks?
Why should I take risks?
What kinds of risks could/should/would I take?
I've taken a lot of risks in my life. Changing jobs; changing careers; moving across a country for work; walking into burning buildings with nothing more than an inch and a half (diameter) fire hose; getting married; having children; writing, broadcasting and blogging; upholding unpopular beliefs and ideas. In each case, these were things I did because I thought they were the right thing to do. A couple of those proved to be really bad (two were health destroying); the vast majority were good, and I'd do them again.
Even though I'm hitting retirement, I don't expect my attitude will change much. I'm probably a bit old for walking into burning buildings and having more children. I'll probably spend more time upholding unpopular ideas, in a time when democracy, human rights, co-operation, citizen action, and faith are all under attack, particularly in North America.
I'd love to have you come along. And if you're coming along, I really hope you will chat with me about what you and I are thinking.
Do we have a deal?
9 comments:
It sounds like an interesting topic.
I never thought of marriage and children as health destroying but you make a good point.
A friend used to say that life is an adventure or nothing.
We all go through life making mistakes but when we are drawing our last gasp, looking back on what we have done and feeling fulfilled and proud is what matters.
Taking risks is the stuff life is made of. I used to have a poster, in my office, showing an ostrich with it's head in the sand with the caption:"Il n'y a que les gens qui ne font rien qui ne font jamais d'erreur, mais leur inactivité, en elle-même, est leur plus grande erreur".
® Rosaria: I hope it will be.
® BF: You're almost as confused and confusing as Snow.
® Jean: I spent so much time trying to make a living that I almost forgot to make a life.
® postoc: I'm having trouble coming up with a good translation of the caption. Could you supply one for the readers here? Please and thanks.
Maybe: "Tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir"?
Ou encore: "vivre dangereusement"?
Ou: "vivre en se moquant du danger"?
OU: "courir le risque et survivre"?
Ou: "prenons une chance"? This is my best one , I guess.
There never is a perfect translation but you try to get the spirit behind the words.
Rob, I'm glad I can still make you think and it sounds like you've taken many risks. Apart from the firefighter job, which other one caused you major health issues? Staying single without kids would also have been a risk: a risk of being lonely perhaps. Anyway, please let me translate potsoc. "Only those who do nothing, never make mistakes, but their inactivity in itself, is their biggest mistake."
It comes down to being true to yourself, Bear.
® Paul: OK, I'll try to make a translation out of one of those. (Je pense que c'est possible.)
On second thought, I'll go with what Sonia's said.
® Sonia: Thanks. I think I'll send you an e-mail responding to your question. The one thing I can tell you is that being a firefighter, while life-threatening on occasion, did not cause any major health problems.
® Natalie: Right; as usual from you.
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