Super-Me
Reading this article in the latest UU World, I was struck by just how true the central point is. I recognized the thought process immediately. I do have some leftover childhood imagination, and I find that almost everything I do with a margin of satisfaction has some of this kind of thinking behind it. And everything else - the majority of things in life - end up half-assed at best.
Of course, it’s not magic. For one thing - making things A, B, and C into epic adventures leaves little time or energy for things D, E, and F. And, if one bites off more heroism than one can chew, then that makes “to hell with the whole thing” an unfortunately attractive choice in some cases. But still - it’s a good part of getting your head on straight. Put in Biblical terms (thanks, mom - I do have some of your favorites etched into my memory permanently) - “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Eccl 9:10).
Try as I might I still go through life feeling like Sisyphus.
But I am leaving for the beach on Saturday so between now and then I intend to attack all of the crap that I have to do as if they were dragons to be slain.
We will see how that works out. But I know there will also be scripture running through my head:
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
Damn. This is no way to start a Tuesday!