I remember one lunch I had some months back with my best friends. 'Twas the usual monthly get-together lunch we usually have for our group. Conversation would flow easily on any random subject brought in by anyone. This was one such thought brought to the table....."Was there a time when you wished that you had the life of your next door neighbor who seems all well-placed in all the areas of her life... work, family, success, career, prosperity??"
That question drew a momentary blank stare from us all. I guess that frozen moment disclosed and simply confirmed that yes we did. Yes, we all do at some point or another in our lives. Who doesn't?! Whether we do it in our dreams or every time she-the-neighbor-in-her-smart-business suit passes by our window driving her car to work.
Human nature. We haven't really learned not to long for the greener pastures outside our fence despite our mother's warnings. To the average woman then and now (or for any person for that matter male or female), it always looks more enticing, attractive, challenging, promising, fulfilling ... than our shaggy apron, pots and pans, milk bottles, children in public schools, and a husband toiling bravely on a minimum wage pay.
Then Cynthia spoke up --- 'Well, 'think she's happy? Meaning really happy.'
Glenda followed it up with ---- 'We'll never know. But I know that she ain't any different from the rest of us with our dozens of issues in the home, marriage, in-laws, husbands and raising our children. Including that of our personal demons we have battled almost all of our lives and still do with a few left over.'
To that Myrtle replied ---- 'Oho then she IS human too??! By golly, let's drink to that!!' and raised her Sprite in can with two straws in it. She always takes two straws with her soft drinks!
The grass may look greener on the other side of the fence... but it too has to battle the weeds that also makes its home on the same turf.
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Have a good Friday, folks! :-)
Ellen,
ReplyDeleteRead 2 posts now. I fully agree with previous one. I maintain that we see others as we ourselves are. However on also needs to remember that world is made of persons of differing traits. I do not know but I have never felt envious of someone though I do have had or even now have dreams but not with reference to anyone's lifestyle in particular. I believe that each one of us gets what God wills and we all also have problems of our own.
Take care
Basic human traits are present in every living person, maybe in varying degrees and in a diversity of ways. But it's the same things that we see contained on the intellectual and emotional range or spectrum. The difference lies in how a person deals with it.... perhaps with conscious change, with sublimation, with big understanding, and lots more ... thus we can see that it affects people in many several ways, positively or negatively. Different folks, different strokes, as an old saying goes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jack. It's always appreciated when you come over with your own store of wisdom. Blessings to you and your family.