At Least They're Committed

Speaking of idioms, it occurs to me that “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is only true if you want to eat the bird. In that case, the two in the bush are worth nothing to you because saying something you can see and can’t have is worth two of one thing you do have is absurd.

For that matter, the phrase “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours; if it doesn’t, it never was” is a load of shit. I have loved “things” deeply and fully, giving them my heart, which could be seen as allowing “ownership.” But “things” can let you down, they can devolve and lose themselves. Yet to say the earlier connection with these things was a lie is wildly shortsighted. Besides, I equate ownership with slavery and an overblown sense of entitlement, so if one feels like they “own” another, that’s a pretty good case for the other to get the hell outta there.

Although my beautiful niece, Lisa, explained the whole “darkest before the dawn” idiom in a very logical way, it just doesn’t ring true to me. It literally gets no darker right before it gets light and, since I rather like the dark, perhaps it’s only me who can’t identify with the metaphor. It’s meaning, however — it’s going to get worse before it gets better — is one I can fully attest to. Yeeeeah.

Here’s a good one: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” OMG! Hahahaha! Who came up with that load a crap? I’m guessing not the people in the psychiatric wards, the paraplegics whose mobility was snatched away by a drunk driver, not the parent who has lost a child. That’s right up there with, “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle.” Sure He does! There are hundreds of thousands of damaged souls out there simply putting in their time and hoping for a better shot in the next life. Don’t be so naive.

The “silver lining” on the cloud saying never resonated with me. I’m not sure what it’s getting at. On the flip side,  I rather like the “God doesn’t close the door without opening a window” phrase. Many times when my plans fell through and I was in despair I kept right on looking and the outcome was far greater than the original strategy. It’s amazing what you can find when you simply take off the blinders. (Ex: The summer renting a room from M.E.)

Of course, all of this comes from 52 years of observing people, what they go through, how they handle crises: whether they continue to grow with the challenges or simply stop; whether they become bitter or let it go; whether they are accountable for their situation or blame others; whether they take their pain and channel it toward something good or wallow in self pity.

“You reap what you sow.” There’s an idiom I can get behind. I’ve seen it again and again and again. There’s been a bit of reaping going on ’round here lately. And I fear “it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” *Sigh.* Bring it.