Angry birds

i have something to confess.  angry birds is my current addiction.  why would killing pigs who steal the birds' eggs be so much fun, using bombs, mighty eagles, egg-dropping hens, and even teeny tiny birdettes?  thirty minutes turns into 2-3 hours.  in the effort to control this ravenly obsession, i have limited myself to thirty minutes, which is hardly time to get the adrenaline going.  but so be it.

so what is the difference between and obsession and a passion?  after all, both involve intense focus and love of the activity.  both take time to develop and to perfect.  what sets passion apart from obsession?  perhaps part of the answer lies in the feelings passion and obsession evoke. 

when obsessed, i am driven by excitement, frustration, and sometimes boredom.  it has a numbing effect on other emotions...  anxiety and sadness, for instance.  of course, they reappear quickly.

passion, on the other hand, elicits a strong inner peace and fulfillment.  that is because it is an expression of my true self; it drives me to be the best stephen i can be.  and the effects last a long time because 'pure' expression and creativity gives a voice to the mind and heart. 

for years, i have been fascinated with the events of the holocaust. my very first high school theme was about it.  i read articles, watch movies, and listen to the stories of survivors.  the horror, shock, and hopelessness of these experiences are deeply troubling to say the least.  and the courage, survival, and redemption of the survivors teaches me about living life at the fullest.  i gravitate to the events of the holocaust because it stirs up in me the will not only to survive, but to thrive.  it revives my passion for living life one day at a time.  now is the only reality. 

now is the only reality.

now is the only reality.