Many of us have "Rules" we live by. One of my rules is to not be governed by superstition. It was actually painful at first, but now I step on side walk cracks with nary a twinge. I don't go out of my way to break my mother's back, but if it happens, it happens.
There is a fairly broad line between superstition and native caution. For instance, I do NOT believe it is bad luck to stand up in a roller coaster. The reason I won't stand up on a roller coaster is that I could fall out. Nothing good can come of falling out of a roller coaster.
When I hear the lament, "Why do these things always happen to me!?" I know I'm in the presence of either a mathematical anomaly or a person lacking some or all common sense. It's true, there are people who have nothing but bad things happen to them no matter how careful and prudent they are. Coincidence is the explanation. Just as it is possible to flip a coin and have it come up tails 50 times in a row, so it is possible to live a life where nothing ever works out. By the same token, the opposite is true. We all know, and grind our teeth, at people who fall into a pile of manure just as we're getting a cold...
Not that it matters, because life is a meaningless succession of days (and nights), from birth to death, with no point whatsoever, in a cold, heartless tick-tock Universe.
Sometimes I'll step outside of myself and make an impartial analysis of myself and then I'll ruthlessly tell myself, "No matter how much you practice, you're never going to beat Tiger Woods over the course of a four day tournament.
Nope, I'll have to be satisfied with beating him in one match play event.
You should try to be realistic... Have you made peace with your limitations?
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8 comments:
I believe the bumper sticker version of this is "expect the best, accept the worst."
Also, John Calvin called and wants his predestination back. But you (and he) probably knew that joke was coming.
I agree, however. People with the "why me?" reaction are like the Church circa Galileo - woefully ignorant about the actual focal point of the universe. Although I do like the idea that a benevolent Deity would have nothing better to do than mildly inconvenience one person.
Bert - This is about Parker isn't it? Hitting a 150-marker and going out-of-bounds. Hitting that great shot, but going into the lake on #4. Being born a Moser...
people tend to focus on the bad shit more often. we rarely sit and think about how good or "lucky" we have it on a regular basis or count all the great things we have going for us constantly. good things are assumed to a given in our lives while bad things are considered to be some sort of punishment for bad karma. we should assume that both good and bad will hit us at random intervals and get over it as best we can, but that takes work. i've found that people hate working at most things.
jilly
To expand jilly's thought:
Bad or uncontrollable people with bad habits have a tendency to brag about their 'good'. A perfect example is a gambler that only talks about his 'winnings' and never about losing. How he always wins in Vegas or at the horse races. Of course, he doesn't have a pot to piss in and needs to borrow money, but that's because he had "to take care of something". Once he hits the bottom of the barrel, that's when everyone has something against him or he "has had the shittiest luck".
Everyone with any golf experience understands that things balance-out in the long run. A ball that hits a tree and deflects out-of-bounds can easily bound into the middle of the fairway the next time. -It's called Rub-of-the-Green and golfers also realize life (generally) works the same way.
Hey, I consider myself to be lucky simply 'cause I was born in a time and place where I can poop inside where it's nice and warm. All else is a bonus.
I would like a little Rub-of-the-green, and I am not talking a horny leprechaun, either. Like Cash. Cold, Hard, Wonderful CASH.
Which is why I am looking for employment. Preferably the kind that lets me drink beer all day and talk shit to the boss.
Chris,
you make a wonderful point about bathrooms. i firmly believe that everyone everwhere deserves at least 2 ply toilet paper (as well as a decent bathroom) no matter what.
the biggest fight i've ever had with my spouse was over him spending a small fortune on what appeared to be a years supply of 1 ply, off-brand toilet paper and expecting me to use it.
I don't care, we'll live off white rice if we have to, but we're getting the good TP and that's that.
jilly
personally, i have no limitations. i am just to lazy to bother with it.
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