A Less Than Golden Life: Finding Meaning in the Average Life Story

By Jason T Golden

​"I have always said I didn’t care about being average, but that was before I found out I could be more. Life is the greatest journey any of us will ever take, and it is up to us to determine where that journey will lead."- Jason Golden

In A Less Than Golden Life, author Jason Golden invites you along a journey t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Golden Publishing
• Release date: Sep 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513604411

Jason T Golden

Jason Golden is an aspiring young author who began writing as an escape from the grind of everyday life in the military. Not finding the satisfaction he imagined, he began searching for the beauty in his life and leaned on story for the answer. Though he began writing Hawaii, he now lives in St. Louis with his wife Emily and cat Mr. Wuss. If he's not working on writing a better life story, you can find him reading, playing guitar, or knee deep in the rushing waters of a trout stream.

Book preview

A

Less Than

Golden Life

Finding Meaning In

The Average Life Story

Jason Golden

Copyright © 2015 by Jason Golden.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Jason Golden Publishing

847 Caleb Crossing

Fenton, MO 63026

www.jasongoldenwords.com

Cover Design: allismithdesigns.com

Edited By: editingfairy.com

Book Layout ©2013 BookDesignTemplates.com

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the address above.

A Less Than Golden Life/ Jason Golden. -- 1st ed.

ISBN 978-1-5136-0405-3

ISBN 978-1-5136-0441-1

For Nicholas Duncan

Contents

Author’s Note

Preface

Chapter One: On The Edge

Chapter Two: Turning The Page

Chapter Three: A Receding Hairline

Chapter Four: The Hornet’s Nest

Chapter Five: Beauty In Desolate Places

Chapter Six: Love And Such

Chapter Seven: A Story Built In A Tree

Chapter Eight: Love On The Fly

Chapter Nine: Golden Arches

Chapter Ten: Jesus And Stuff

Chapter Eleven: Sensei And The Wolf

Chapter Twelve: Honest Abe

Chapter Thirteen: Nut-to-Butt

Chapter Fourteen: A Work In Progress

"Opportunities will come and go, but if you do nothing about them, so will you."

―Richie Norton

Author’s Note

T

he average human being will live to see the sun rise and set roughly twenty-eight thousand times between their first breath and their last. Each one, no more than a grain of sand in the hourglass of eternity in which only a few will choose to be remembered.

Every morning you are forced to make a decision: whether or not to be more than what you were the day before. You search for beauty and meaning in life, no matter how average you may think you are. You long to finally step out of the comfort of your daily life into the whimsical world of the unknown. Although this story isn’t whimsical, it is true.

What makes this book worth reading book is not my story, but the stories of those I have encountered throughout my life. Those heroes who exceeded their potential and inspired me to do the same. These individuals and their stories have added immeasurable meaning to my life. The greatest aspect of life is the opportunity it affords us to be whomever and whatever we want to be, if we are willing to work for it.

I have always said I didn’t care about being average, but that was before I found out I could be more. Life is the greatest journey any of us will ever take, and it is up to us to determine where that journey will lead.

Preface

A

river flows like the soul within every human being, a constant, fluid organism, filled with both beauty and wonder that is so often overlooked. We have all found ourselves standing at the bank of this river, desperately trying to find the courage to step out into the unknown as it steadily flows by. Making the decision of whether or not to take the leap of faith is something we all have to face at one point in our lives, and it will ultimately determine how we live our lives. This step, however hard it may be to take, will determine whether we live a life worth sharing – one that will leave a lasting impression on those around us. This story is probably very similar to your own: an unremarkable person desperately trying to find beauty and meaning in life. I wish to live extraordinarily in the hopes of creating a lasting legacy. After all, the greatest people in history have found themselves at that point, and they all chose to accept the risk in pursuit of the reward.

One

On The Edge

I

recently came to a point in my life where I was forced to make the decision of whether or not to take a critical step. Up until this point, I was living within the dreaded comfort zone most of us spend the majority of our lives in – an uneventful place that sadly results in a life full of missed opportunities and regret. I can’t say I was particularly content with living that way. I just became complacent with the position I was in at the time. The irony of the human being’s amazing ability to adapt and become comfortable in any environment, no matter how destructive or mundane, is that it often condemns us to that lifestyle. My former life was the perfect example of this evolutionary trait until I was forced to change my way of thinking. As cliché as it sounds, all of this started with a dream I had about a year ago. It had such a profound impact, it led me to write this book, and ultimately, to try to find and create meaning in my life.

As an avid fly fisherman, it is not uncommon for me to dream of being on a river, especially if that river is filled with large, rainbow-colored fiends that feast on tiny feathers hovering on the water’s surface. It is something that every true fly fisherman spends most of their days obsessing over. It is such a soul cleansing experience that most who try it become addicts, in the best sense of the word. Being on a stretch of water, ferociously waving a twig, is more spiritual than you can imagine, however, it must be experienced firsthand to be fully appreciated.

The stretch of water looked somewhat familiar, but I knew I had never actually fished it; and the man walking next to me gave me the same strange feeling of familiarity. As I looked out across the landscape, I breathed in deeply, as if to bring myself back from the state of awe I was in at the majesty of what I saw. The trees stood tall around us, rising like waves in the distance and hugging the rolling hills, eventually evolving into the mountain and overlooking countless miles of countryside. The reds and yellows signified the onset of the fall season - I remember thinking how beautiful it was.

Although I didn’t recognize the man, the peace he carried inside his spirit was contagious. The longer I walked next to him, the more I felt I had known him my whole life; and the longer he talked, the more he seemed to be the person I wanted to become. I also found myself becoming extremely envious of his perfectly manicured beard, and at an alarmingly awkward rate.

We continued walking until we reached a bend in the river. It seemed the perfect entry point to begin our wade downstream.

We are here, he said, stepping off into water. It seemed to be rushing much faster than the human body could withstand, especially, for a man of his age. But without hesitation, he stepped into the raging unknown, his body strong against the current. He stood rooted, despite the persistent current, as if he were raised by a village of salmon-hungry bears since birth. I started to step forward also, but my fear consumed me, stopping me dead in my tracks.

Don’t be such a sissy, Jason! he yelled out, laughing loud enough to safely call our fishing trip quits before it even began. Are you going to let an old man show you up like this? he yelled unrelentingly.

I remember thinking how bittersweet the feeling of fear is to most humans. It can be very bitter if you are the one experiencing it. No matter how trivial the situation, fear has an unrivaled power over the