Mirage - the word comes to English via the French words mirage (from se mirer (to be reflected) and mirus (wonderful) as well as from the Latin mirari, meaning “to wonder at.” There are also clues in etymology that indicate the Arabic mi’raj was of influence; however, the meaning there connotes ascending or climbing. Misleading images are frequently mistaken for reflections in extreme heat. Most often, a mirage is the mistaken identification of an oasis (of water) in the middle of a desert.
Have you ever had a dream of something you'd like to do or become, seeing it as a vision set in the future? Has it seemed like a distant thought, put far out of your mind and only considered on a rainy day? Well, mirage means a reflection of something wonderful, and you can make it happen if you focus on the future and what lies ahead.
Consider this. Several years ago, my mother and I went to Ireland with friends. Renting a car, I began to leave the lot, driving a standard shift vehicle with the wheel on the right side of the car - and while the gear shift and pedal orientation was in the same place, the pedals were also on the right side of the car (of course) and you need to use your left hand to shift gears.
Laughter and caution abundant in the roundabout, I began to adjust the rear-view mirror when it suddenly dislodged in my left hand - the same hand that was needed to shift to third gear and proceed out of the circle on the wrong side of the road with the turn signal indicator God-knows-where (likely to be used by my very busy left hand). Smartly, I figured out how to shift and hold the mirror while returning to the car rental agency.
Leaving my mother waiting in the car and strolling into the rental facility, there was a man that appeared to be born at the time of Saint Columba and a younger bloke off to the back. I told the older gentleman with apologies that the rearview mirror came off as I adjusted it. Perfectly in time with my last word, he retorted in a friendly way, “Ach, well ye’ve got two others, don’t ya? Throw it in the box and be on your way.”
Glancing at the younger guy as the older one left the office, he shrugged his shoulders, agreed I should just put it in the box (that would be glove box) and to enjoy the island. Ah yes, don’t we all know why the Irish saved civilization - with their common sense! Smart advice to not worry about your rear view mirror.
When you focus on what's ahead of you, it's easier to get farther, to reach higher, to make bigger dreams come true. That's what I recently did, and as of today, I am a published author. Crime, history and political mysteries have found a new home (available in hardback on Amazon and BN or ebooks everywhere), all wrapped up in a fictional tale.
Keep focused on the future ahead of you, not what lies behind you or who is trying to keep up with you. Take the wheel and get to your dream destination.
