Potential-ists

Sometimes it’s hard to be a “potential-ist”

Seeing the things that others don’t

Yet

We’re all meant to see whatever we see

It’s no shame or fault for any type of us

It’s just the loneliness that comes when

You see your way.

Alone.

Some people who are builders

See the foundation

Right there.

They see some unfinished stuff

To build on right here.

Others see castles and

Invisible walls,

But then they look around and as they try to explain,

People look at them like they have two heads!

The sad thing is, the ones with all the tools,

The ones with the building skills,

They’re the most lost with this particular idea.

So, we’re at a stand-still

Until someone else comes in,

So we can see

in-between you and me.

Someone else can take the project and do the in-between stuff

Like the time when I went to see that

Potential apartment with my two sisters…

They saw all the mess and the crap—

a great skill to have in the clean-out phase.

But I saw the bare bones of the thing—

and what a great apartment it would be!

To hang art n’ such!

Bare walls and nice woo-colored,

Parquet floors

They said, “It’s disgusting here”

And I said, “No way! What the heck! This is a steal!!!!!”

Thankfully we ended up there. They listened,

But I had to say it awfully firm…

Walking around like you’re crazy,

Isn’t always nice.

Saying, “I told you so”

Isn’t graceful or kind.

But what do you do, when others aren’t willing to see beyond, to dream, or to create something that just hasn’t been built yet?

Or maybe they’re willing, but they just can’t.

Maybe they’re willing, but you’re just sick of hearing, “It’s not time yet.”

Being a visionary is all good and nice, when it’s the right time for others’ comfort levels n’ such.

It’s really great when they want to skip some steps and they need to call in someone who can help them cut corners or imagine a better future—because they’re desperate at this point.

But being the one to watch the desperation grow…is really sad…when you KNEW there was a better way from the beginning.

I’m not here to say that vision isn’t impatient (often) or these types don’t need to learn to wait their turn…that is another cross they’ll need to bear.

And you bear yours too…you are the one that have to see us try a million ideas that don’t quite fit yet. You watch us kiss project-frogs until the cows come home and if we had asked you for help, (in your nice, tidy, sequential thinking)—we’d surely be better off!

We don’t mean to be prideful in our dreams... Or to say we have the better way.

We actually want to connect in, just like everybody else.

But being a forerunner just comes at a cost.

Seeing things 8+ years ahead is just strange sometimes. Or sad. And lonely.

We don’t want to walk around and tell people to shape up.

Or to put forth ideas the world isn’t ready for yet, because where’s the kindness in that?

But we are aching for a kinder world.

So, maybe, if you find it in your heart…will you help us?

Help us connect our dreams to reality.

Help us see that we’re not too far ahead.

Help us see that there is room for the most outlandish ideas…because they inform the process…even when they seem egregiously off at first.

Help us know we’re not alone in wanting a better world, and these empty walls and fictional stairs will be there one day (probably sooner than it feels).

Help us know that we have a place here too, even though our ideas force us to see that there’s nowhere we fit here just yet.

So if you have a potential-ist in your life, we don’t mean to choose offense, we’re just sick of people saying,

“That’s not real,

you’re crazy,

or simply just asking us:

Whaaaat?!

AGAIN!”

More than anything,

let’s just remember that we need all the gifts.

There is sufficient time and enough room for all of them to work here,

making this mosaic for the King.

‍ ‍