Generic vs the Real Deal

People are interesting creatures. Perspectives and reality can be so totally different. I think we all have cheated ourselves of reality thanks to the proverbial rose-colored glasses. It seems to me that there are times when we want something so badly, we convince ourselves that a generic version of what we really want will suffice.

Don’t get me wrong… sometimes the generic version turns out to be just as good as the real thing. There’s nothing wrong with a generic brand as long as the quality of the product is top notch. Although, all too often, we convince ourselves that while it’s not quite as good, it’s good enough… And if we continue to partake of the generic item, we become acclimated to its lesser quality. Sometimes it’s been so long since we had the real thing, we forget how good it is, and settle for the cheaper version.

I recently went shopping for cereal. I had decided on honey bunches of oats. I mean hi – clusters, almonds, golden goodness. What’s not to like? At the last minute I opted for the “great value” brand instead of the real deal. I suffered through that box. The clusters weren’t so clustery. And I don’t know what it was, but it was more like little pebbles than soft yet crunchy golden goodness in a box. What did I learn from this experience? Sometimes, it’s worth the extra effort/time/money to get the real deal.

I look around and I see so many people who have settled on the generic form of love. They’ve settled to be with someone that was good enough, or the one that finally asked, or the one that they’d been with so long, it was just comfortable. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the storybook kind of love is out there, that it exists. There are countless songs, stories, poems, etc. that tell of love - the stuff that dreams are made of. The kind of love that is unconditional, selfless and filled with passion. I have to believe that it really exists. I have seen it exist with a few people I know and know of. What is it that makes people settle for the generic version? I’m not sure. But I am grateful that I am not one of them. I am happy to adopt the bridge of “21 Things I Want in a Lover” as a mantra: I’m in no hurry, I could wait forever, I’m in no rush cause I like being solo, there are no worries and certainly no pressure, in the meantime I’ll live like there’s no tomorrow.

At the end of the day, our Father in Heaven has a plan for each of us – it is up to each individual to realize the perfect plan that He has provided for us, by the choices we make each day. As we live each day to the fullest, striving to become a better version of the person we were the day before, striving to follow the straight and narrow path laid before us, we will be led to our very own promised land. It doesn't matter if the path isn't exactly what we anticipated, and we might not notice all of the perils from which we were diverted. But there will be a day when we will be able to look back with perfect clarity and see the wisdom that led us to that promised land.