Choice, by Q. Reyes – Artistic Warfare #56

January 10, 2010 Q. Reyes 3 Comments

Choice is one of the most misunderstood, and often unappreciated, concepts affecting all living things.  By definition, choice is the right, power, or opportunity to choose; option. Yet, this meaning doesn’t explain how choice is part of every second of our existence.

So MOTU blessed the Latino 101 Wrap Party with his presence and subsequent stamp of approval (even though the number of Asian women in attendance was dismal). I was glad to see him, as well as Tatiana, Chris, Art and everyone else that might have been there whom I didn’t get a chance to meet.  Bottom line, thank you all that supported this project and believe you have my support in any endeavor you pursue.  I also was honored to meet Prodigal Sunn.  There’s definitively something about that brother that emanates power.

As you can see, I clearly made a choice to give thanks and shout outs in the middle of this article like if it made any sense at all.  That’s what choice is about.  Being able to make a left turn wherever you feel you should turn.  Choice is often misunderstood because just like everything, it has a good side and a bad side.  There are good choices and bad choices.  We choose which to choose.

Often we don’t realize what is a good choice or bad choice, and the fact that we have a choice to choose can be overwhelming.  The availability of choice is confusing, especially when we don’t have a reliable source of information or knowledge to make a decision.  This may lead you to complain that “you don’t know what to do” or “you can’t make up your mind” or “you don’t know if you’re making the right decision,” etc.

Choice brings about uncertainty, and as humans we love to be certain.  Still, consider the alternative to not having choice.  Not having choice is always more painful than having a choice.  Would you rather not have a choice to go to jail or be able to choose to go to jail?  Most people will choose the latter, and most people will choose not to go.

The fact is that when we’re bogged down by choices and hard decisions stemming from those choices, you have to be grateful that you actually have a choice at all.  Keep in mind that we have a lot of choices, but there are other people and living things in this world that don’t have a choice.  They don’t get to choose where to eat, since they might not have a choice to eat at all.  Or they might not choose what school to go to, since there might not even be a school around.  So don’t complain, “you don’t know what to do.”  Be grateful, instead.  Some people don’t have that choice.