making things right

Today it has finally stopped raining so, finally a new roof can be put on. The reason for a new roof is that the present one leaks. It is one of those unfortunate circumstances that roofs cannot be repaired in the rain so, if it leaks, it will continue to leak and wreck plaster ceilings and whatever damage it can do until it stops raining.

There have been times in my life that I have felt so ill, knowing that a pill would make me feel better, and all the while knowing that if I swallowed one it would not stay where I needed it to be. There are many times in our lives when we know what we need but it is impossible to utilize that which would cure us. Think of the people who are allergic to penicillin, sulfa drugs, opiates and so many other things that might make them feel better if they could only tolerate them.

Often our choices are made impulsively, simplistically. We see one quality in a person, reach for that single quality and don't realize the malevolent-to-us qualities that share the space within. A woman may choose a man for his gentleness, to escape the controls of the macho men with whom she was all too familiar, only to find that the gentleness masks passivity and depression. Another scenario is the woman who sees a manly, strong-willed, take-charge person only to find that he is totally without ability to give over any control to other than self and is emotionally like a bull in a china shop. On the reverse, the man who chooses a very feminine sweet girl who looks up to him in a charming, helpless way, later may learn that she cannot take charge, make decisions, or get over her dependency on him and remains helpless in face of adult responsibilities.

There are so many examples of the lack of fit in so many systems. There are so many little girls who want to be ballerinas but are built to be strong workers and athletes. Those who can combine their wish to be graceful with the power of skating are fortunate to have a body type that allows both. Indeed, good fortune is more a part of life than most of us spend a great deal of time thinking about. Those who say 'you can grow up to be anything you want to be' need to realize that you must have the right ingredients with which to start. All of us are not born equal. We deserve equal human rights and opportunities, however. Not even that combination assures us that dreams or goals will be possible. After all, luck is an important ingredient and we all know that luck is where opportunity and preparation meet.