Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Town of Uncomfortable


I came screeching to the banks of... something. Something I did not have a name for. Something I did not see coming on the horizon, even though I was running from me and everything that hunted my mind. But there is no running past a Great Expanse. By its sheer mass, it made itself known.

I am not sure that I decided to cross it so much as I decided not to stay stuck. All I knew was that on this side of the Great Expanse was mud and running. And I was tired of dirty and disgusting. And all runners know you cannot run forever.

Problem was, on the other side of the Great Expanse was Unknown and Unconquered. Unfamiliar.
Un-everything really.

So I jumped into the Great Expanse. And promptly drowned. I didn't see that coming either. I know. How could I not, right? Jump in the deep end when you cannot swim leads itself to drowning. But there you go. I jumped. Cause that is who I am. A Jumper. And a Passionate Believer that the Unknown can become the Known if you will  just leap.

So the swimming was really just hacking at water and the breathing looked more like coughing up my lungs. But eventually I got real familiar with the Unfamiliar and all its fast flowing currents hidden below the kiss of a calm surface. And I didn't drown. Imagine that. Imagine my surprise.

To cut a long long story/swim really short (yeah, I hear your sigh of relief) I dragged my wet self out the other side and found land. And a town. And another whole way of being. And here's the most unexpected part about the Unfamiliar and the Unknown, once I got there, I mean after I got past the fact that the town I arrived in was named Uncomfortable, I actually thrived. Really.
Oh sure, not right away. Not even the next day or the next week. But once I stopped fighting the fact that facing fears, myself, my hopes and dreams and basically everything that ever meant anything to me also meant that I was living at least part time in Uncomfortable, I saw the benefits. I got to show up and be real. Cool hey? Some people didn't think so. But the ones that did, they moved to Uncomfortable too. And together we got real good at building bridges.

This summer I even bought a house in the town of Uncomfortable. Camping was getting old. And now I welcome the gift of moving beyond myself to new possibilities. And here, I'll go one step further, I like this new town. The ever changing, ever growing sum of the place. It has a great vibe. Know what I mean?

What about you? Ever been to Uncomfortable? Got friends there? If you read this blog, you do now :)

20 comments:

  1. I think I was the mayor of Uncomfortable for a few years. I still have a key to the city to prove it. :)

    Beautiful post.

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  2. Ah, good ole Uncomfortable, my hometown.

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  3. love the sentiment here... and laugh at the thought of myself in Uncomfortable, as I believe that to be where I find myself most comfortable, constantly challenging self to learn and grow and move on to the next...

    yet, I know and love many who have never found their way (nothing wrong with that either); and the bridges have been built, many, many, many bridges...

    love this!

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  4. I love you, Sister. Amazing post.

    The little girl in me was a resident of Uncomfortable for over 40 years. Praise got I am venturing out in ways I never dreamed, thanks to Him.

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  5. "I am not sure that I decided to cross it so much as I decided not to stay stuck." I love that.

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  6. Bridges are meant to be crossed, I must give in to their purpose so that I can reside in mine. We often fight the currents that wish to take us somewhere, wary because we know that they are the quiet kiss above an undertow. Hard to know the difference sometimes, without discernment. This was a great view into you!

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  7. I KNOW this feeling ALL too well! This was beautifully written!!!

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  8. I am also a great believer in making that jump. The worst thing in the world is to simply feel helpless.

    I tried to throw a few readers your way yesterday by linking to your previous post. I hope you don't mind. I thought it was so neat!

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  9. This is beautiful. Boy do I need to leap.

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  10. I am still living in the town of Uncomfortable. Though lately I've been standing at the entrance of the bridge, wondering what's on the other side. Perhaps you will come over for tea some time? A great parable!

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  11. Great post. I don't know if I've been to Uncomfortable or not... Maybe I didn't recognize the name when I was there?
    I'm glad you found a place to call home. :-)

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  12. You write really well! I enjoyed this post.

    Thank you for the kind words on my blog. :)

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  13. aw, what a beautiful post. thanks for sharing. Uncomfortable is a place we all visit at one point or another.

    sometimes every day.

    <3333

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  14. I love you but you know that. Yeah, I've staked a claim in uncomfortable. Don't really like the area but I can't afford happy right now.

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  15. I got dropped off in Uncomfortable at birth.

    I liked the allegory. Interesting.

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  16. I got dropped off in Uncomfortable at birth.

    I liked the allegory. Interesting.

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  17. Great post!! I've been in and out of Uncomfortable so many times, the mayor threw a parade for me! Avocados (my fav) for everyone.

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  18. It's taken me years to figure out that uncomfortable doesn't mean something's wrong. In fact just the opposite. Great post, Tab.

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  19. Thanks for the comments everyone. Deb, I whole heartedly agree with you. Uncomfortable is no indication what soever that something is wrong. :) Well said.

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