Paying the Price

The disarming little man introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Easy."

'Seriously?', I thought?

It was almost two years ago now, and I was on my first trip home to Chicago from Cleveland. I was overwhelmed with my doctoral program, and starting to fray at the
edges. Dr. Easy, it turns out, would be a bit of a prophet for me.

Easy was from Africa, and told me all about his struggles to come to the United States, finish school, and become a doctor. Then embroiled in his residency, he knew a thing or two about hard work.

"If you want something greater in life, you have to be willing to pay a price," he said.

At the time, I was grateful to have this wise little man confirm to me that my hard work was indeed all "worth it." I had no idea of the prophecy and lesson these words would depart on me. The conversation was immediately burned into my mind, and I knew it was somehow important.

Prophecy, you see, is all around us. It is real, and it makes perfect sense. If all of history is indeed a moment in the mind of God, then it only makes sense that we would see bits of overlap.

The "price" Dr. Easy was talking about did not just refer to the difficulties of undertaking advanced study. Today, I realize that he was talking about the price for honesty, the price for integrity, the price for friendship, the price for love, and the price for pursuing goodness. Yesterday, I asked myself: "what is the price I'm willing to pay for art?" Today, I ask myself: "what is the price I have paid -- and am willing to pay -- to live a good and authentic life? Am I really what I claim to be?"

I understand now, and have great compassion for, those poor people who are so frightened of life that they go into a existential shell. It's no easy business, and I don't pretend to be an expert. But I'm willing to pay a price... at least I think I am...

Perhaps grace is nothing more than the gift of keeping our eyes open and our cheek primed for the next blow? Perhaps it is that supernatural endurance which is our only hope, if we are to continue to truly be alive?