Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
Another (#$@%ing) lesson….
There’s a car on my block that has a number of bumper stickers plastered on back – all of them left-wing amusing, but my favourite being the one that says “Oh No – Here comes another Learning Experience!”. Since I have frequently been heard to ask “Geez, why does everything have to be a fucking lesson?” – I am glad to see the sentiment shared with thousands on sticky vinyl.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a blog post where I recount yet one more thing learned the *hard* way – there’s been enough of those in the last year already – but more of a lament at how difficult it seems to actually become a better person. Aren’t there people out there who just are better people without getting beat up by the cops, or losing their friends to the fugitive underground? I mean – why is it that my sainthood has to emerge from the death of one of my closest confidantes, harassment by csis agents, or the snap of an ankle on a windswept island hiking trail? I’m sure that not everyone claims their growth in these ways, or feels that almost *every single encounter* they have is some sort of a personal test… Really!
And yes, I do know that so many of these things are the result of personal choices, but then again, some of them are just plain freak occurrences too. Perhaps it’s just my privilege balancing out on the other side (Okay Meg – you get a really good paying government job, but as a trade-off you’re going to fall in love with an animal rights activist who you will feel compelled to support through numerous court appearances and jail stints for the rest of your life….) Or maybe there is an afterlife reward that I’m too much of an atheist to believe in.
As usual, not really complaining, but I’m just saying…. I think it might be time to put an end to this sort of personal growth 🙂
One Comment on “Another (#$@%ing) lesson….”
Leave a comment
Red Cedar 
Tell me about it. I’ve always hated that “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” hokum. I keep wanting to scream, “I’M STRONG ENOUGH ALREADY! GIVE IT A REST!”