“Facing it,
always facing it.
That’s the way to
get through.
Face it.”
– Joseph Conrad (1857 – 1924) Polish novelist
What aspects of your life have you found hard to face, lately? (answer below)
One Bad B*tch – Zebra Katch (3:35)
movie clip from “The Heart of Darkness” (1994)
How to let go of Mistakes Guided Meditation (15:24)
*excerpt from Rep. Gabby Gifford’s speech on gun control before the U.S. Senate (1/30/13)
To Tell The Truth….:
“Who did this?” asked my teacher.
Thirty children tried to think about not only what they had done, but also what our teacher may have found out.
“Who did this?” asked my teacher once more.
She wasn’t really asking. She was demanding an answer.
Though seldom became angry. But she was this time. She held up a piece of broken glass and asked, “Who broke this window?”
“Oh, oh,” I thought. I was the one who broke the window. I had not done it intentionally. It was caused by an errant throw of a baseball. I was working on my knuckleball. It needed more work.
Why did it have to be me? It wasn’t really my fault. If I admitted guilt, I would be in a lot of trouble.
How would I be able to pay for a big window like that? I didn’t even get an allowance. “My father is going to have a fit,” I thought. I didn’t want to raise my hand.
But some force much stronger than I was pulled it skyward.
And told the truth. “I did it.”
I said no more. It was hard enough saying what I had.
…
My teacher went to one of our library shelves and took down a book. She then began walking towards my desk. I had never seen my teacher to strike a student. But I feared she was going to start with me and she was going to use a book for the swatting.
“I know how you like birds,” she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face. “Here is that field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out. It is yours. It’s time we got a new one for the school anyway. The book is yours and you will not be punished as long as you remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed. I am rewarding you for your truthfulness.”
Do not be like persons on whom advice has no effect. They require punishments to improve them. A sensible man acquires guidance through advice while brutes and beasts always improve through punishments. (http://www.english-for-students.com/to-tell-the-truth.html)
Its always difficult to face the fact that there are learning curves in life’s path, and that even I struggle to make it. It really helps me put things into perspective.
I was struck unspeakable fearwhen I woke up and discovered that I had misquoted Gabby Gifford.I trust myself add for a moment didn’t I know what to do.then as I irony would have it, the answer came like a flashand I did what I dread to do and send out a second email. Making it crystal clear the error that I had made.
I went to a 12-Step meeting for a while that I did not like. I stopped going because I did not like those people. I see now that the meeting was too healthy for me – I’m always just seeking someone sicker than I am. I will go back to that meeting and hear the lessons (face it) that I need to hear.