Hi All –
Take a look at this cartoon for a moment:
Although it is called a cartoon, the picture really doesn’t
make us laugh, does it?
Rather, it visually presents a challenge to us I think. When we look at this cartoon, we see
two people riding in the same car.
Both are going in the same direction at the same speed. Both will arrive at the same
destination. Yet one person seems
happy and the other seems depressed.
Why?
The depressed person has only a limited vision which is
gray, featureless and unchanging.
He has no reason to believe that things will be different, either in one
minute or ever. You can see that
he’s had the same view for a long time – the road stretches out for a long way
behind them.
The happy person is enjoying a panoramic view of sunshine on
a verdant valley. He enjoys the ever-changing
view and is holding binoculars to better see into the distance. He likes what he sees and is enjoying
the ride.
The cartoon has lettering which says “Every single day you make
a choice.” This is, of course, a
metaphor for our lives. Each day,
we can choose to focus on the negative aspects of our lives or concentrate on
the many blessings that surround us.
During the day, if we find ourselves consumed by worry, then perhaps we
can unfasten our seat belt, stand up, and move to the other side of the
train. What do you think? Is this always possible? Is it that easy?
I think the answers to those questions are unique to
us.
And suppose we are riding on this train (well, we all are,
aren’t we?) and notice that our friend is sadly facing the rock wall of
despair. Maybe he was just
diagnosed with cancer or is having marital problems. Do we say “Oh, don’t worry. Everything will be alright.” or “Hey, look on the bright side. Maybe some good will come of this
situation.”? I think not. Perhaps the best thing to do is to sit
with him awhile – let him know that someone cares about him in his time of
need.
Is it even reasonable to think that we should always be
sitting on the side of the train facing the beautiful valley? Should we always expect good things
from life and never bad?
Do you recognize yourself on this train? If so, which side are you usually
sitting on?
Have a great week!
Kevin
Reminder: If you are unsure about the meaning of the
idioms used in this message, please refer to "Idioms, Figures of Speech,
and Proverbs" posted on this blog in August 2013. An alternative is
to look at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com
The question at the end of this blog piece is "Do you recognize yourself on this train? If so, which side are you usually sitting on?"
ReplyDeleteMy personal answer is no. For me I prefer not to sit in the colorful side all the time ignoring there is a grey color to see all the spectrum. Nor on the grey side all the time ignoring the colorful side. I changed sides frequently, I believe a balance between pessimism and optimisms is needed to live real life. Pessimism is needed and pessimists of the past that had chosen to stay in a dark windowless lab or produced a fantastic discoveries in music, books, philosophy, and medicine...etc. Just imagine the case, the cartoon choose not to show. What would happens if the train is full of people who are trying to sit in the colorful side? the train will loose balance at the first curve.
I agree that most lives are spent like a pendulum, swinging between periods of pessimism and optimism. Unlike a pendulum, however, people can spend more time in one phase than the other. And I think it is necessary to experience both. How can you know that you are happy unless you have experienced being sad? And how can you know how much you are suffering if you’ve never experienced joy? Pessimism can certainly foster creativity - many poems, books, paintings . . . maybe a blog or two . . . stem from that inner place of darkness.
ReplyDeleteOur society does not treat dolor and euphoria the same way – if we see someone in sadness, we want to help them feel better. It doesn’t work in the opposite direction – if we know someone who is happy, we don’t want to help them feel miserable. Marketing feeds on this theme – if you are feeling down, then buy this product and you will be happy again – just as you deserve. So we come to believe that a constant state of happiness can (and should) be ours. After all, we’re entitled, aren’t we? And, yes, if that were true, that train would definitely topple at the first curve.