- WARNING: Read at Your Own Risk, Raw Frankness
[frangk-nis]–noun plainness of speech; candor; openness.
- "I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." Kurt Vonnegut
Every day I say things in my work. Many people don't like what I say and to that I say I don't care. I say those things anyway. After all, thoughts that stay in your head come to nothing. So, for better or worse I've grown fond of sharing my thoughts and even better, I don't fear it. I put them out there and then sit back to see what happens.
I've felt for a long time that I've had my back against an irresistible force pushing me toward the edge. All the while, I've been digging in my heels frantically pushing, trying to slow it down. But the closer I get, the more clearly I seem to think. It's like the quote above. When you are on the edge you see things you don't see from the center. When I get here, where I am today, that's when I want to write down the things I'm thinking. A purge, if you will. Problem is, I'm certain that some of you won't agree, or enjoy them. I'm going to say them anyway. Now that my introduction is over here is my first.
A Thought from the Edge
Do you ever get tired of trying to find the silver lining? I do. I get really tired of taking handfuls of crap and pushing it through a sieve to find the gold nugget. I get tired of pretending every obstacle, roadblock and handful of crap is a blessing in disguise. When you're waste deep in a bog it's hard to smell anything but the rot and decay let alone roses. Sometimes tragedy and hardship is surely the path to enlightenment, that can't be denied. But sometimes, crap is crap and there is value in admitting it.
10 comments:
OK, OK, Devericks, I'll comment. :)
Personally I love frankness- why pretend something is what it isn't? And if you're sitting in a pile of "crap" there are not a lot of ways to sugar coat that. But let me give it a try, shall I?
- Have you read Job? You're not as bad off as he was, so suck it up!
- Um, everything happens for a reason and I really believe that you were meant to have your car die so you could cram your family into the silver bullet and that will bring you all closer (literally and figuratively).
- One day you'll look back on this scenario and think, those were the good old days...
- Hey, now you'll get to ride your long board every where you go... a true blessing in disguise.
- I hear that hardships help writers with material, so I think your cartoons should just flow viles of funny now.
- Oh, and Heavenly Father has a plan for you and that must have something to do with you learning over and over how to fix broken down cars.
And really what am I kidding man, it just sucks! Next round of diet cokes are on me!
Only thing I have to say right now is; I love you and you have an awesome friend, and an amazing family and they Love you too!!
Oh, do I have empathy for crap! Sorry you are knee deep in it. It sucks and I hope it gets better! "Come back to Texas! It's just not the same since you went away." Not that there isn't crap here, but it's more fun to drudge through it here with us!
I'm with Sara (great post by the way!)
Sometimes things just get crappy in life and its ok to not see the silver lining, the light at the end of the tunnel or the value of the experience. Life sometimes just blows and I feel like its healthy to let yourself feel depressed, sad and frustrated for awhile.
THEN...you pull up your boot straps, put a smile on your face, say your prayers and come to our house for DC's.
I am really sorry for the frustration that you are experiencing right now. It is tough to be positive when trials come upon us. Especially when it seems that we are doing our best to do our best.
Some one once said, "smile things could get worse....I smiled and sure enough things got worse".
Some days just feel like that.
I thought a lot about this last night and decided there are many ways to define "CRAP".
A-UTISM
B-I-POLAR
C-HEMO
D-ISABILITY
E-DEMA
F-RUSTRATION
G-RIEF
H-EART-ATTACK
I-NJURY
J-ALOPY {BROKEN CAR}
K-IDNEY STONES
L-YMPHNOMA
M-EMORY LOSS
N-EUROPOTHY
O-BESITY
P-PARKINSONISM
Q-UIRKINESS
R-ATS
S-EIZURE
T-UMOR
U-ROGRAM
V-ARICOSE VEINS
W-HIP LASH
X-ASPERATION {msp}
Y-ARD DEBRIS
Z-ERO MONEY
Don't forget that the "J" in your father-in laws name often means Job.
I suppose what I may have just defined is "MORTALITY".
I AM GRATEFUL TO BE AMONG THE FEW ON THE EARTH TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND
"THE PLAN". Doesn't mean it is easy though.
It seems to me that the true A,B,C'S ARE
A-RESSTED
B-ETRAYED
C-RUCIFIED
D-IED
E-TERNAL LIFE
F-RIEND
G-OSPEL
H-OLY GHOST
I-NFINITE
J-UDGE
K-INDNESS
L-OVING
M-ASTER
N-OBLE
O-BEDIENT
P-ATIENT
Q-UIET
R-EDEEMER
S-AVIOR
T-EACHER
U-NDERSTANDING
V-ALIANT
W-ATCHFULL
X-CELLENT {MSP}
Y-OKE
Z-EALOUS.
I love the advice of your good friend about prayer.
crap is crap is crap nothing more nothing less.
I have three words for you my friend: opposition, opposition, opposition. This mortal life spins on the axis of opposition; it makes the world go round. I admit, some of the opposition we encounter seems pretty pointless. But doesn't it make you all the more grateful that there is some point in time where you can rest from all your worries and cares?
One of my favorite quotes is from Vicktor Frankl, a survivor of the nazi concentration camps during WWII. He said:
"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what matters then is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
I like photography as a metaphor. If the lights and darks didn't play against one another, you would never see the picture. It's the contrast that defines the images and shapes. Consequentially, it's the opposition that will define our characters. And maybe you're pretty sure that whether or not you can get your car running has no real effect on your character. But doesn't it? It's one more thing that pushes against you, that makes you keep searching and finding the purpose in life. That aside, it's my opinion that there are some things in life that just suck. They really do. But we get on with our lives, we put one foot in front of the other, and like everything else, this too shall pass.
There are two things you can do with crap. You can step in it , have it squish between your toes and be miserable with the terrible luck you have or you can see the crap, choose to walk around it and try to avoid the other crap that will be ahead. Some days it's a hard choice. I myself have done both. Just keep on keeping on.
Bravo my brother!!
Mmm. I like throwing a good tantrum. I think the kiddos are on to something sometimes.
Post a Comment