I had to patch a couple inner tubes yesterday. I had a slow leak on my rear tire which needed immediate attention and another tube which I had procrastinated with for some weeks. With bucket of water and pump in hand I went about the discovery phase. Just then Mr. Naysayer entered my patching domain. "Why fix it? You can buy a new one for three bucks."
People often say the stupids things when trying to make small talk. One, tubes for my bicycle costs closer to five bucks. Two, a patched tube probably has more strength than a new one. It would take a knife to puncture a patch. Three, if I can make a tube "stretch" through four or five punctures, then I have saved fifteen to twenty dollars. I patched mine while watching television. It took one minute to scratch the tube with sandpaper and apply glue. I let the glue dry five minutes, and then applied the patch. I held my tongue understanding that his small talk qualified for the adjective "small" perfectly.
About ten minutes later I found myself at the same hose with the same bucket washing my bicycle. Mr. Naysayer came by to once again enlighten me. "I gave up riding."
"Why's that?"
"Too many flats. The last time I had about a twenty-minute ride to someplace. On the way back I got a flat. I ended up walking and arrived late to work. I got in trouble. I bought Kevlar tires but haven't ridden since."
I so wanted to blast him with my logic laser. However, I took the path less travelled to mix my metaphors. "Well, I always carry a spare tube in one pocket and a plastic tire iron kit in the other. Yes, I hate changing a tire alongside the road. Punctures come with the territory. I would rather take ten minutes alongside the road than walk fifty miles."
My mouth said one thing. My mind said another. In my mind I yelled, "You idiot. You chastise me for taking five minutes to patch a tube and for saving twenty dollars. And you don't have the sense to spend "three" dollars for a spare tube to avoid an inevitable event. You gave up riding because you didn't have the forethought to stick a tube in your pocket. Would you drive your care without a spare? Cars have exponentially fewer flats than bicycles and yet you ride without a spare?"
In the middle of my internal rant I heard a still small voice ask, "What about you? What insignificant event or setback has caused you to give up on something? When have you stopped writing? Did someone say something to hurt your oversensitive feelings? Did you freeze? Did you park your future over a three dollar tube?"
My friend has a creativity problem. He froze. I got a flat on my way to work. I got in trouble. I can't let that happen. I don't trust bicycles. I will take the car. He had the flight or creativity choice. He chose flight. His circumstance blinded him.
We tend to define creativity as art, writing, music, and movies. Creativity is as big as God. In the beginning God created. Creativity is my cat throwing his weight in his carrier to knock himself off the boat onto the ground in order to spring the door for the purpose of running amok and afoul. Creativity is putting a spare tube in your pocket to avoid a long walk home. Creativity is my father designing and making a tool when the tools manufactured at the plant fail to meet his needs. Creativity is using dental floss to remove a ring stuck on a swollen finger. Creativity is finding a means to stay alive when it seems like you have used up all your options. God has woven creativity into the very fabric of our existence. Creativity is not an option. Creativity is the thing that keeps us alive and makes life worth living.
What are you waiting for? Stick a tube in your pocket and get back on the road. Live creatively. Get unstuck. Look for solutions. Focus on the possibilities. Bloom. Forget the politics, the naysayers, the economy, your critical mother, you high-brow ed English teacher, and your boss. Create like your life depends on it because it does.
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