meisa's lagoon

typically when i sit on the plane, i don't speak to people. i used to bring some sort of chemistry paper with me, until i got tired of people striking up a conversation telling me that they remembered doing that stuff. i always sit there and smile as they struggle through some sort of listing off of elements or what not that they remember from their high school chemistry class. i always find it very amusing, when i barely understand what i'm reading, let alone someone who hasn't had chemistry for 15 years.
but this time i had something else in my hand which caught the eye of a gentleman sitting next to me, <i>From Beirut to Jerusalem</i> by Thomas Friedman. Not my typical reading material, but something i thought i would try out upon recommendation from a friend. he asked me about the book which led to asking me about my life. i always used to have a set answer to "and what do you want to do when you are finished?" but with my life in utter turmoil right now, i have no idea what the response to that question is. and i find that i can't even make up some bullsh-t and lie to a stranger that i will never meet again. so i kind of ended up telling him a little about my confusion and he pulled out a pen and wrote on the back of a united airlines napkin the formula for life.
P - I = P
"you see, humans start out with huge potential, something everyone has. and then you have interference which cuts down on your potential. your potential minus the interference in your life gives your productivity. the smaller your I is, the farther you will get in life. you have to learn to be like water. when you stick your hand in a bucket of water, the water immediately molds around your hand. you have to learn to do that with your life. take what you have and mold yourself around it. all you need is desire to get anywhere in life. if you have desire, there is nothing stopping you from doing whatever you want."
wow. a far cry from "humph, i remember doing that stuff...carbon, chlorine, nitrogen..."
being a very superstitious person, i am constantly looking for signs. if this wasn't one, i don't know what is. i'm going to try to take his advice to heart, and hopefully it will take me as far as it has taken him.
thank you, mr. james etters.