Riding Around on Hope

I've mentioned before that I named my motor scooter "Hope." Hope is a word I hold onto a lot. My car I named "Zaziwae," the word 'Hope' in Nelson Mandela's native tongue. On days where it appears it will not rain, I choose to ride Hope the 6 or so mile to/from my campus each day and it is my favorite part of the day. The fresh air. The breeze. Yes, I always have my helmet on (note earlier post about the day of my passing out, no helmet would have meant head injury- thank god for helmets!). The feeling of going fast even though my 50cc bike only really goes 35 mph on a good day. Nature. Sunshine. Time to myself.

I didn't always have Hope - not just literally, but figuratively. Perhaps in the casinos I did. Hope for the next win. But not Hope for myself, Hope for my journey, Hope for others. I'm not sure I even really understood the word. Now I see myself on a journey of Hope. Not that it means I get all my Hopes and dreams, that is not at all what this means, it is about not giving up. Keeping the journey alive. A roadblock just means I need to find another way. There are many bumps in the road (a ride on my scooter Hope feels all of them) but in time, with persistence, strategy, and the ability to seek out resources and ask for help when necessary, we can get past them. To me, that is Hope. 

I talk in this blog about where I will be in one year - back at school, back at my graduate assistantship, back in this life I love. That is Hope. Truth is, we do not know our future. All we know is today. All we can do is challenge ourselves, get past the roadblocks and over the bumps each day and see what actually occurs. While Hope may not be the word you choose to hold onto, find a word, something positive that you can close your eyes and think about when times may be dark. Perhaps your thoughts will get just a little lighter.