Something interesting in an unexpected source...

So I'm trying out a new author, Nevada Barr, since the storyline seemed interesting. This is one of those books that had been left in the office copy room, so I figured "why not?". If I don't like it, I can just put it back right away instead of after finishing it.

I finished reading chapter two last night and at the very end was a bit of philosophy-ish ponderings that made me stop and go "hmmmmm".

...Outraged injustice. It was an emotion for the young, for those who still believed in some pure, shining vision of absolute Justice, a virgin to be outraged. Anna had felt the outrage for years when she'd been simpler, blessed enough to see the world in clear, crisp black and white....Over the years she'd been introduced to "mitigating circumstances." Everything had softened, muted into the more interesting but less dramatic shades of gray....

I had to stop and think about that. Did I think in black and white? I know I used to, but I see a lot of gray anymore. Do I see everything in gray? No, not everything. Will I eventually? I have no idea. But it seems to be a pattern that appears with aging. I wouldn't necessarily call it associated entirely with maturity, unless you define maturity with aging. I define maturity more as a state of mind...an ability to accept the things that I cannot change, the choice to reason out my reactions before giving voice to them (except in blogging where I rant), to take a step back and see my challenges in a clear light. This, to me, is maturity....the learning of life's lessons and applying them to my life so that I might not repeat foolish mistakes. I almost associate the seeing entirely in gray as a cop-out, a giving in to mediocrity of emotions. I think there should always be that something that sparks the rebelliousnes in you. Something that lights such a fire in you that everything is seen in black and white. Coasting through life is fine, but don't fade into the mist. You're alive, revel in that.