Determined for Demise.

There's this lamp in my apartment. We're one of those hipster families, so it has this rose bulb that illuminates next to nothing. Its pretty though. I've just returned from one of my daily walks around the neighborhood to clear my overburdened mind.  But I can't stop looking at this lamp, or rather, what's buzzing around the lamp. This ugly little bug is repeatedly pouncing onto the bulb, and then jumping off. On. Off. On. Off. On.... Off. I'm thinking, "You masochistic little freak, make up your mind. It's burning you! Don't you realize that that bulb is going to be your sizzling end if you don't get on your merry way?" It's so attracted to the light though, it's willing to deal with the pain with no reward. It's determination will be it's demise.

Why do we hinge ourselves on things we know are detrimental to our well-being?

I love gummy bears in ice cream. I could eat it for every meal of every day.... but I don't. Want to know why? Because it would be unhealthy. I wouldn't get the nutrients from other foods (or the vitamin supplements my mother shovels down my throat) that I need to function properly. If I let my indulgent side reign free, things would take a turn for the worst quite quickly. Why do we let pleasure overtake our conscience? It's no longer the problem of knowing right from wrong, it's finally doing something with that information. When you touch the hot stove, it burns you. You retract your hand from the source of pain. When someone 'burns' us, why do we continue to go back for more? We have trouble discerning what is beneficial and what is detrimental.

But once we've established the fact that something is detrimental, how do we let go?

That, my dear, is something you will have to figure out on your own. If it's your friends, that's fine. Your family? Wonderful. Outer sources work. But from my experience, look within yourself. Find what makes your heart glow, what makes you gleam and glimmer. Cling to that, because when you've lost all else... that's all you have left.

~The forgetful flower