Mediocracy

The other day I conquered 'Big King', a fairly large hill with a water tower near my house. I've been living here since Easter and look at that 'hill' at least 4 times a week. So the other day, I bought some hot chips from Chan's Takeaways and climbed up the king. At the top, I could see all the way to North Shore City. While I was looking that way, I began to think of my mother.  She lives on the Shore.

I used to live on the Shore too. For about 9 years. When I was old enough to dive and brave enough to drive on the motorway, I used to get on the Oteha Valley onramp. On the side of this onramp were a family or 2 of Pukekos, like the birds on my jumper. For some reason Pukekos like living out near-death experiences every day of their sometimes short lives. So for 9 years, I drove past these birds, and became used to them being there, and used to me driving past them. Then I moved - away from the Shore and away from my mother, all the way to the other side of town, where I don't see Pukekos, I don't see the beach, I don't get to talk to my dairy guy, or get kinky outfits from my landlord. And I miss (most) it.  But you see, sometimes familiarity breeds mediocracy. We become familiar with our surroundings and become so comfortable with what we know, that we don't push ourselves to try the new things - because we already (apparently) know what all the good stuff is.

Moving has made me realize that I don't have the same set of excuses now. I can't blame being broke on the price of rent, or cost of transport, I can't blame my messy house on lack of space, I can't blame my reason for not riding my bike on all the hills or my non-existant garden on not having soil. Because I have it all now. Well, most. And I plan to keep working on it, breaking out of blame and mediocracy and pushing into doing the things that consume my thoughts. Even if it means I need to do a pitstop at Chan's for some encouragement.