On the street where I live, there lies a crack. It’s actually two separate slabs of concrete that are being pushed apart by tree roots–one higher, one lower. But, I call it a crack.
And, I trip on that same damn crack every time I walk up the street. That damn crack has found me during phone conversations; while sipping coffee; while listening to my Ipod; while rolling my “granny cart” to the laundry mat; while simply walking with Jeff. And, it’s worth mentioning that I don’t just trip over this crack. I massively stumble over it, dropping my phone; spilling my coffee; causing my Ipod to skip; tipping over my “granny cart;” inducing giggles and mock “trips” from Jeff.
Those who know me know that I am prone to such clumsy episodes. I find it amazing that I can balance a tray of 14 drinks on one arm. Not only that, but, I can do that during turbulence, and while dodging peoples’ feet, and children squeezing past me in the aisle of the airplane. But, I can’t seem to manage walking up the street–the same street I have walked up hundreds of times–without stumbling on that same damn crack. You’d think I’d learn my lesson.
We as humans have a long history of not learning from our mistakes. We repeatedly make the same mistakes over and over and over. We continue to pollute in the same ways, even though we know what it does. We continue to spread hate even though we have seen what hate can do. And, we continue to think that “it” will never have to us, even though almost everyone that “it” has happened to also thought that same thing–whatever “it” is.
The problem is that we as humans have an amazingly short memory. I really have no other explanation as to why I can repeatedly trip over the same crack. The good news is that no notable harm has been done. Which may have something to do with why I don’t remember that crack before I trip on it.
Is that the solution? Do we have to be really hurt before we learn our lesson? As soon as I typed that, my mind began racing through illustrations of how people only learned a lesson once they were hurt or caused irreparable harm to something or someone. But, ever the optimist, I refuse to believe it.
I have to believe that I want to learn and grow; because, I want to be a better me; not because, I have no other choice. So here’s to growth–may we be best “we” that we can be!
Oh yeah, and if you see a blonde heap on the ground, covered in laundry and coffee with electronic devices scattered about…just keep walking and know that lessons are slowly being learned.
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Here’s video of Miss USA at the Miss Universe Pageant. I love the fact that, after she trips, she has this look on her face that says, “Yeah, I’m hot and I tripped…jealous?”
tyflyguy 