Embracing Wild Flower(s)

My mother once told me a story of how I adopted my nicknames; a name that has forever stuck in the recesses of my fond memories.  When I was about 3 years old, my mother took me to pickup my older sister from elementary school.  As we waited outside on the lawn for the bell to ring, I ran around happily picking daffodils and dandelions hidden in the grass, presenting them to my mother with pride.  From that day on, she  dubbed me her "Flower."  It's no coincidence that nickname has held throughout the years with the prefix "Wild" a newer addition. 

Now, 21 years later, this story crossed my mind as I hiked a nature trail behind Glendale's Brand Library.  I couldn't help but stop every so often to smell the wildflowers or take a picture such as the one above.  As I hiked and stopped, smelled, and smiled, another thought crossed my mind, have I been embracing the Wild Flower that was inherently within me or have I been acting as someone else to please others?

I started to contemplate the definition and derogatory connotation usually saved for descriptive words such as hippie, free spirit, flower child, and couldn't help but wonder if I had been running from my true self, worrying all along at what others might think if I truly did embrace my inner hippie.  Furthermore, I started wondering how many people in today's society were day-in and day-out struggling with the same identity crisis, trying to fit into a rigid mold, too afraid to accept and fly the colors of their own inner uniqueness. 

With these thoughts in mind, I came across this quote and was struck by its sentiment:

 Considering the source of these words comes from arguably the scientific geniuses of all time and can be interpreted in many different scenarios, I choose to think Einstein is advising each and everyone of us to embrace our individuality and go forth into the scary unknown, despite what the masses advise.  The interesting part of this whole scenario is that lately, I have had all to many conversations embedded with fear and uncertainty when the topic of following your dreams has arisen.  It's amazing just how many people are so easily attracted to following the sheepish path laid out by some dictating society, and how fearful they are of even fathoming attempting the unknown toward fulfilling their dreams.  I've heard all too many heartbreaking phrases such as, "Maybe one day." "If I continue to work hard enough it will happen." "I don't understand how it could be possible, I just have too many responsibilities to even think about doing something like that."  

The most saddening part about these conversations is the arbitrary "that" they all speak of and brush off is their life dreams.  It's as if merely wishing for the delivery of the day when all their dreams come true is happiness enough, lost in a daydream that gets swept aside as the next man-made errand rears it's ugly head.  Now please, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say being responsible is being stupid, but with time constantly ticking away and years flying by, at what point does a person realize the responsibilities they're hiding behind are actually fearful excuses for not fulfilling their life's purpose? And also truly understanding and embracing that their dream may be unique and different to those of everyone else. In a world made up of so many beautifully unique, quirky people, why have responsibilities replaced dreams and society replaced individuality? The sun will rise and it will set and each day we get another present to experience the natural phenomenon that is an individual life. But those fleeting days are passing by, whether we acknowledge them or not.  

As I watched the sun set from my mountainous perch amongst the flowers and trees, I made a promise to myself to continue to try and embrace my inner Flower, my free spirit, and to continue forth living my life as a dandelion, caught in the wind, traveling to my next dream's destination without so much as a glance toward the scared naysayers.  It's my life, I'll do as I please with it.  You have one too, what will you do with your gift?