Instead of commenting directly on your discussion, I'll comment on where that discussion led my mind.Hello @generikat,
I am one of six siblings. Of the six, one has already passed on. That leaves five. It would seem the passing of a sibling would sober the rest of us, remind us that time is short and nature will deal us hard blows no matter how 'good' we are. So it perplexes me that I am the only sibling everyone else talks to. There's anger and resentment. Wounded feelings and grudges. I don't know what stops my siblings from acknowledging the truth you address in your blog (although once, when I was younger, I was in the same place myself.). We're all at fault. We all make mistakes. We don't have to forgive each other, just recognize our frailties and not let anger determine our actions.
Well, that's what I take from your blog. Nothing highfalutin. Nothing that requires three advanced degrees--or Greek philosophy--to understand.
A great, thought-provoking blog that obviously hit home.
Oof. My siblings are squabbling right now, and one of my parents won't talk to most of their family. Some people hold grudges tighter than diamond hands hold GME.
I don't understand it. I'm old, and three of my siblings are older than I am. It's sad. I gently talk peace but don't push it because at least they still talk to me :)
!ENGAGE 10
Oh, I love that you shared your insights derived from your personal experience that this post brought to the surface! Seriously, that is my favorite part of thought-provoking writings, everyone's experiences are so unique and different and that brings so many new perspectives into the fray to consider.
One of my biggest pet peeves is elitism, especially intellectual arrogance. All of this hierarchical struggling we engage in really is nonsense, we are all just at different points on our journey, some of us have more resources or better (or worse!) situations than others, some would rather just stay where they are at, some just want to be angry instead of having grace, but what's cool is that at any time any of us can change our mind, learn something new, apply it, and grow. I find that exciting, and even though I definitely make my share of mistakes, I have a desire to keep moving forward.
I really cannot express how much this sentence hit home with me, it's such a good reminder about accepting what is under our control without getting all bent out of shape about what isn't. Thanks for the most excellent comment:)
**We're all at fault. We all make mistakes. *** That's the line that leaped out at me, as well - along with Cicero's failure to let his conscience be his guide, rather than public opinion. We have all these expectations of others, and we judge them if they fall short of the standards we set up for them. It's wearying. I've given up trying to be the person others want me to be, doing or saying what they want me to. No. Sorry. This is why crabby old ladies exist. Old codgers who seem rude, brusque, dismissive. After so many decades of other people's bullsht, we realize we have only so much time left, and we can't keep wasting it on people who want, want, want stuff from us and slam doors in our face if we don't live up to their expectations. Thank you for this @generikat and sorry for the rant. :)
You don't have to be sorry about the rant at all, I loved it! As a kid I always wondered why some of my elders were so crotchety, especially since many of them were crusty marshmallows. After decades of other people's bovine fecal matter it is definitely easy to get worn down and even bitter. I'm so glad you shared your thoughts with us:)
ENGAGEtoday.