A few weeks ago an old friend called me Quixotic. I hadn’t heard the term, so I asked him to define it. He mentioned Man of La Mancha and its lead character Don Quixote, the chasing of windmills and the dreaming of impossible dreams. I continued to listen. He said that I embodied many of the traits of the main character and the term was simply a describer. He’s known me over 30 years, so I listened, but had my reservations.
The idea of the impossible is relative. For some landing a job may seem impossible. Or maybe escaping one’s circumstances might seem impossible. To make a dramatic example, “impossible” could be trying to find a soulmate, or finding one’s keys. Regardless, there is a necessity for us to continue to push up against what we might perceive to be impossible.
For me it has to do with needing the resolution of whatever situation seems impossible in order to be at peace. As I look around, I will always feel that there is more work to be done. Impossible or not, it’s necessary.