You know how people are always
posting things on Facebook like this?
Rules, guidelines, faux quotes from famous people? I imagine hundreds of people printing out
these rules and pasting them on their mirrors.
They then go on to berate themselves on a daily basis for not living up
to the guidelines handed to them by someone else. For some, it’s a religious thing. When I have a day where everything goes wrong
and I’m mad at the world, I usually wake up the next day expecting things to be
better. When a uber-religious person
wakes up the next day, they walk around with guilt for having a bad attitude
and beg the world—and God—for forgiveness. But I digress….
I would like to re-write those
rules above—but please don’t paste this on your bathroom mirror. This is merely my interpretation—at satirical
at that—for a common sense approach to the ups and downs of life.
1. The past is what it is. It is permanently etched on your brain and
will show itself when you least expect it.
It probably is screwing up your present because it created who you are
today. The only thing you can do is understand
it and go from there.
2. What others think of you can totally mess with
your head and your life. Should it be
that way? I can say of course not—but it
does. It can affect the quality of your
education, the future of your job, and your family life. People gossip, people lie. Never mind the sticks and stones, words CAN
and WILL hurt you. Ask a politician. What do you do? Continue to be yourself and eventually there
will be people in your life who know and love who you are.
3. Time does not heal abuse, mental and physical
illness, and abusive relationships.
Intervention, medical or otherwise, can and does. Sometimes it doesn’t and people die. Of course, everyone eventually dies which I
guess is the ultimate cure, with time.
4. Ok, I agree with the not judging part—except
for really bad people. Why should I try
to understand the journey of a person whose mission is to cause pain and injury
to other people?
Why should I understand the “journey” of a
racist or bigot? I can be as
understanding as all get-out if someone wants to change—but otherwise, I do get
to judge. Which is what we all do when
we exercise our right to vote.
5. I agree that thinking alone may not produce
answers. The thing people forget to do
is educate themselves. You can think
better when you are informed of the problem and the options. Some things need to be left alone for a while. “Thinking too much” is another way people say
things like “You’re too smart for your own good”. It’s also a convenient way to complete
disregard another point of view.
6. Another vague statement that can mean anything
from “money doesn’t buy happiness” to stop blaming others. Some of which I can agree with. However—can you be happy when you live in
mind-numbing poverty or abuse? The way
out, or the way to “happiness” may not always be available or visible. Back to the “past” thing, what happens to a
child who grows up with constant physical and mental abuse? Are they responsible for their own happiness? Or let’s look at people in third world
countries where happiness may only mean having a meal that day?
7. Sure, smiling is good. And, no, you don’t own all the problems in
the world, just your own. Smiling is
good when it comes from inside, not when it’s pasted on to convince someone
else how great you’re doing. Let’s face
it, some days you just don’t feel a smile.
Some days you need to cry—and that’s ok too!
No comments:
Post a Comment