Walking tall

Yeah I know, it's been a while. Although I have been writing recently, I haven't really posted anything; mostly because the things I have been writing about are deeply personal (even more personal than the things I normally post here). To be honest, I would feel a little overexposed if I posted them. They are conversations I should be having with people, not publicly. Bloody hell! I must be growing up hey!

Anyway, there's something else I have been mulling for the last couple of weeks. It's something I have written about before, actually.

About seven or eight years ago I had a fleeting conversation with a very close friend, which was much needed at the time. Basically, she told me that it was time to get over the shit that was bothering me and move on with my life. To emphasise her point she told me how I used to have a confident walk. You know: I walked around like I owned the place, but then, I always was a cocky bastard.

But life at the time had beaten me down to such an extent, that I had quite literally lost the spring in my step. I shuffled where I used to strut. My shoulders stooped where I used to walk with my chest out. I snuck around where you used to hear me coming: my heels beating out a rhythm on the floor as I tap danced through life.

I have been shuffling a bit this year. No one likes a shuffler. I think its cyclic: sometimes you forget that you need to strut, thanks to life beating you down.

Last week I was in the grocery store and this kid walked up to the shelf right next to me. He was dragging his feet. I wanted to turn around tell him "Pick up your feet dammit, walk tall".

The words stuck in my throat. I had to choke them down and, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. It took a couple of days and I had to think about it but finally it dawned on me: I was talking to myself in a lot of ways. For years after that first conversation I had walked tall.

You see, walking tall is an attitude. It's looking at life and saying "come at me bruh!" It's about not caring what anyone insignificant thinks. It's about backing yourself, to get the girl, to get the job, to win the fight, to be the best. I forgot that for a while. I think we all do. If you have forgotten, I am partly here to remind you.

You're fucking awesome. No matter what anyone tells you and most of all you deserve to be happy. It's there, take it. That's the mind-shift. That's the culmination of the journey.

So screw just walking - now I dance down the passage at work and I don't give a shit what anyone thinks.

I am working on applying the same rule to life. There is really only one other person I want to impress - the rest of them can kiss my ass. My tall walking, dancing down the passage, singing at the top of my lungs ass.


DISCLAIMER: If you can't dance, walk. Shoulders back, chest out be an MMM product!