My observations about life occur to me at odd
moments, and I usually attempt to sum these
thoughts up with a short, one-line generalization
that has an edge to it. Since I am aware that my
statements are never universally true, I feel no need
to acknowledge any possible exceptions. This has resulted in both family
and friends remarking that although I am not always correct, I am always
certain.
With that in mind, I recently found myself concluding that, “We
are never prepared for what we expect.” The thought probably began as I
was considering my age and realized that I had never expected to live this
long and that I was surprised that I had. Therefore, I never thought
about what it would be like. Likewise, even when things occur that
I knew would happen, I often find it difficult to deal with this reality
when events actually occur. Perhaps this is due to my belief that the only
certainty in life is that nothing is certain.
As it is with most people, my view of life is only what I see through
my own eyes. However, that does not literally refer to what I see, but
rather to who I am. I don’t see things as they are; I see things as I am. I
am the lens through which I view the world around me. This lens I call
“self” is not clear. In fact, it distorts and colors everything about me to
meet the requirements of my mind. Mostly, I see things as I would like
them to be, or as I think they should be. For me, reality is a figment of my
imagination, as true reality is only for those with no imagination. I like
to think that my experiences account for my inability to see things
as they actually are. However, no amount of experience ever seems
to prepare me for my next adventure. Experience is a great teacher, but
the tuition can be very high. At times, the lesson to be learned from the
experience comes too late and becomes similar to receiving a comb after
you have gone bald.
I’m not suggesting that I have a solution to this dilemma. I only want
you to recognize it, so that you will be better able to understand the
need to live life without fear of the unexpected, of failure, or of any
other occurrence that may not be to your liking. Life has a mind of its own
and will never permit us to predict its twists, turns and ups and downs.
So, stop looking around to decide where to go. Just hang on tight and let
yourself enjoy the uncertainty of the unknown to come. To remind me
of this, I keep a sign on my office door that says, “We don’t believe in
miracles. We rely upon them.” Even if you could predict the future, you
would still never be prepared for it when it happened. That is just the
way we are. In my perception, life is not a puzzle to be solved. It is rather
a glorious ride, like a surfboard on a crashing wave on which we try to
maintain our balance as it surges towards the shore, where it will finally
break and end, leaving no mark that it had ever existed. So, ride that wave
and enjoy the thrill.
I’m not myself today and everybody has noticed the improvement 39