Brian’s Reflection: Tuesday, Dec 8th, 2009

It is better to have loafed and lost,
than never to have loafed at all.

All [persons] should strive to learn before they die,
what they are running from, and to, and why.

James Thurber, author, satirist, born on this date, 1894


Now that I have “retired”, I can say this: I absolutely agree with Thurber’s thought about loafing. [ I am trying to learn not to overdo exclamation points; it is ….. hard! ] I have never wanted to “work” – that is, do stuff that didn’t make me happy. Even through the many years when I had to do things I didn’t enjoy, I structured in a lot of time to loaf. Admittedly that was one – and few - of the benefits of being “in charge” of a congregation: structuring one’s own time. It is a great gift in our age. It kept me sane and balanced.

As to what we need to learn before we die, again I agree. Thurber says: “to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why”. This could very sensibly be one’s Life motto – and it certainly wouldn’t be, I think, inconsistent with living the Gospel Life, or the Buddha’s teachings, etc. The only thing I would add is, “to know how we can lay aside the mistakes and start afresh”.

It is Socrates’ “Know Thyself”. It is what Jesus always challenged folk to in the parables: knowing the “truth” that will set you free.

Distress is usually “blamed” on someone or something exterior. But most distress is “interior”. If we are responsible about examining our life-distress, we see that we can’t usually change others, we have to change ourselves. People like me get worked up about this because we lapse into thinking that this means we have to compromise our principles. It doesn’t. What it does mean is that we have to accept the consequences of our decisions and choices. As long as we are willing to do that, we are “off to the races”.

We will have to let go of lots of personal idiosyncrasies. Learn to be flexible on all levels of Life. Be willing to change our minds and our point of view – though we should not do so without consulting our brain, hearts, and conscience.

“Religion” offers – if it has integrity – lots of helpful guidelines for doing this or, more, for being a certain kind of person. It would be a worthy meditation exercise during the day, once or twice, to ask the question and take five minutes to ponder; or better, to listen to what the Universe has to say:

What am I running from, and to, and why?

If we can be open and honest to the “answers”, it will help a lot!

Brian+