preview
i saw a quote a few days ago, and it’s been drifting through my mind ever since. it said something like “i wish i got a thirty second preview of what it would be like whenever i meet someone for the first time, so i know what i’m getting myself into.”
and. yeah. i mean, that would be nice. because to build a n y t h i n g , it requires time, effort, and dedication, in various amounts. and people; relationships; memories are no different
we can make snap judgements and we can profile and analyze and we can get gut feelings and impressions
but we don’t get a preview.
we don’t get to know if we’re going to spend months getting to know someone, only for it to amount to nothing at all
we don’t get to know if this person is worth the risk of being known
we don’t get to know if whatever story arc we are about to create will result in more joy than pain, if it will be worth all the bad things that are going to happen, for no relationship is free from conflict
so we can stay safe, silent, hidden
or we can risk reaching out, risk being known and therefore risk being hurt, all over what could happen and what might be
‘cause we don’t know what we’re getting into. we don’t know someone before...well. before we know them, as redundant as that sounds
but
even if we did get a preview
the future isn’t set in stone
if it’s a bad story, do we cut threads before they fully form, or do we take a risk and try to change the ending?
do we not do that in life now? sit in cycles that repeat over and over and over again, wanting something to change, hoping that it will, dreading that nothing does?
what if seeing the future, even just a preview, would cause it to change? for you would live with that knowledge of what it c o u l d be, so would you try to make it come to pass? for you could never act the same again, never lose the knowledge you have
we can’t see previews of how our life will change whenever we meet someone new
but if you could
would you?