Sponge bob Square pants and his insane sidekick, Patrick, have been a regular cartoon show in my home for about six or seven years. Yums doesn't watch it as much now but when he was younger we'd both sit in front of the TV and giggle at Spongebob's antics. One episode in particular stood out for me. Sponge bob, as usual, had gotten into mischief and unintentionally destroyed Bikini Bottom. The town thought that a maniac was on the loose and immediately began an all out hunt for this maniac. Patrick, who was an eyewitness to the maniac, was asked to recall how this person looked to a sketch artist. Well of course when he described the person it was Sponge bob and quite naturally no one in the town could tell that the square image could only be Sponge bob! Eventually Patrick and Sponge bob went on the hunt for the maniac and in the most ridiculous manner eventually figured out who it was!

Ridiculous. Absolutely, I know. But what I took from this episode was how wonderful the word maniac was and also how insanely great it is to at times act like a maniac. 

Living life like a maniac for me means living life with relish, with gusto, with passion! It means going after your dream and not stopping until you have it in your hands. Being a maniac means taking risks; having an adventurous spirit. Not fully knowing where the next experience is coming from but waiting with open arms for it. A maniac isn't afraid to live and take chances. Now of course I don't mean acting on impulses that are dangerous, morally degrading or life threatening. I do mean acting on the passion in life that says even when you can't see your way....there is one.

Sometimes we have to stop and remember to live. Not just exist. But really live.....