A simple letter, a simpler symbol. normally it spreads feelings of warning. it screams out either, do not do this, or in our society we take it as "do at your own risk."
I'm gonna go in a completely different direction with it.
I dated this girl once, and everytime we were together there would be these X's in the sky made by planes crossing each other's paths. at first i thought it was just sort of neat, but then i started seeing them all the time, and i wasn't looking for them, it would always be a glance, and there it was. I remember asking her what she thought it meant, she said that she thought it stood for X marks the spot, as if her and i were it, and we were meant to be together and this was confirmation of it all. that all worked fine for me at the time, but i knew there was a bigger picture, and a deeper meaning out there somewhere. so, months after the relationship had ended (which by the way is how the majority of relationships go), i was sitting in my backyard taking in the nature and looked up and there it was, an X. so, immediately my mind goes to thoughts of, "i need to call her, it really was her", and all of that, but as i sat there and took it all in and really meditated on this smoke made symbol in the sky, i believe God spoke.
An X is a journey, it is your journey, as well as my journey, and the journey of all those we will come in contact with. we start at the very ends, moving towards each other till we meet and our paths are now joined, the center of the X and the time it stands for are dependent on so many variables. but at some point in time we break away from the center and move on in our own directions, it is the natural path of life. even those we hold onto so tightly trying desperately to hold them in our lives, will eventually pass on from this life. Now, the center is where all our focus is attentioned, it is the place where we must find a joy in life with others, because if they do move on, the worst thing we could do is bury all of the opportunity to become better from their part in our lives. there seems to be a trend in relationships where if it doesn't work out people will bash their ex's trying to make themselves feel better about themselves. it's truly a shame. every interaction with someone, even the most horrific, can and should be learned from. i'm not claiming it's easy to face some of those demons, but it's in your life, therefore, it's on purpose. maybe the purpose is so that the next X you join up with in life can be encouraged and helped by your experiences.
if you know me, you know i don't have much to show for myself in this world's standards, but i know i'm loved, and i know who i've been made to be, and all those mistakes in my past can't hold me down, when those reminders come chasing after me, breathing in life once again.
so, here's to the honest, the unashamed, the screwups, the truly beautiful, and those who will join me in an X.
with love(the real kind),
stephen