March 22, 2000

Hit By A Bolt Out of the Blue

Yesterday was a day during which I got stuck by “AHA!” moments. I got struck by more than one, which makes yesterday go down in the books as a painful day for me. You can only get struck by so many lightning bolts in one day before you start to feel the pain.

The first bolt came from another diarist’s entry. In it she said that she had once been told that she’d rather be right than be happy. I laughed. That’s a pretty funny thought. Who would rather be right than be happy? KAZAM went the lightning bolt! The aroma of freshly crisped hair floated into my nostrils as the answer swam into my brain – “Why Sunshine Wolf – you would!” Uh-oh. The sound of truth was ringing loud in my ears.

I thought about that a bit, but then shelved the thought because I am, after all, a very busy person. Much too busy to worry about introspection or life changing. Ahhhhhhh, but the universe is not so easily dissuaded.

My daughter returned from a 3 day camping trip with her school class yesterday. My sister came into town as well, so we had a lot of catching up to do in all directions. We went to dinner together, just the 3 of us. My daughter was entertaining us with her tales of camping. She found out that snapping turtles have that name for a reason and a mark on her finger serves as a visual reminder. She found out that camp food stinks. She held a boa constrictor. She ruined $90 shoes (which I told her not to take – but what do I know?) hiking through the mud. She fished. It sounded to me as if she really enjoyed herself.

As she was telling her tales, out came a rhyme about snakes. It was a version of the rhyme I had learned when I was in scouts about how to tell a deadly coral snake from a relatively harmless king snake. They both have bands of red, yellow and black coloring. The distinguishing factor is the order of those bands.

“Mom! Red and black, friend of Jack. Red and yellow might kill a fellow. Or something like that. I don’t remember it exactly.”

I told her I remembered that little rhyme, but the way I had learned it was Red and yellow kill a fellow, red and black, friend of Jack. It was a very slight difference. Very slight. I was about to go back to my mean when ZAP the lightning struck again. More hair burned. I looked at my daughter.

Wait a minute – what do you think that rhyme says? If the colors are red and black together then it’s an OK snake (or as OK as snakes can be I guess) but if it’s red and yellow together, it might kill you? She nodded. That’s exactly what she understood it to mean.

Oh my. All these years I’ve known that rhyme. All these years my interpretation has been that if it’s red and black it’s an ok snake (so far my daughter and I are in sync) but if it’s red and yellow together you should kill it. Kill a fellow. Kill the snake. I questioned my sister. She and my daughter shared the same interpretation. The snake can kill you.

Now this seems like a very small distinction, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is another indication of my personality and my way of dealing with things. If it’s wrong – kill it. After all, I’d rather be right than happy. It never even occurred to me that there might possibly be a different interpretation of that rhyme. The way I heard it must be the way everyone else heard it. It had to be that way. How else COULD you interpret it? I can be so arrogant.

OK. I get the point. There is a different way to handle things. It’s not necessary to choose right over happy. It’s not necessary to kill things that are wrong. Heck – it might not even BE wrong. Maybe what’s wrong is the way I’m looking at it. Oh damn.

Today my hair is still a bit fried and I have a headache. I asked the universe for a day off from lessons. I am still trying to assimilate yesterdays none-too-gentle-teachings. And I still have the toughest part in front of me. You know – the part where you take your newly found knowledge and actually DO something with it?

All donations of prayers are cheerfully accepted. It seems I still have a rather long row to hoe.

umhum::nodding her head like Sigmund Freud:: now we understand the headache. umhum::nodding again::I wondered why we didn’t chat this morning, and I thought I was the one with a headache! ::smiling::

whoooaaa…i know the brain usage headaches..i get em not only from lessons like that…but also from trying to write and from doing the crossword puzzles from the newspaper..;)

Goodness, that LL is one wisewoman, isn’t she? I have (finally) discovered that Happiness is ever so much easier to attain when one takes responsibility for one’s own actions. Obvious but hard to actualize!

ps a nice cup of tea and a little slice of humble pie will fix that headache right up AND straighten your frizzled hair, too 😉

thank you for your note! I have more proverbs..^_^

How about a donation of positive thoughts, and a wig? Ouch, those personal revelations can be a real pain. LOL

BBe

March 23, 2000

The check is in the mail. (figuratively speaking of course. 😉

Hmmmm heavy musings…..sympathy. Hugz

Ah Sunshine, I’m so sorry for your woes. I’m on my knees & sending hugs & warmth to you. I’d take a couple of those bolts for ya if I could. Grins & Love~

That “happy or right” one will really bite you in the ass … especially when you try to apply it. After a while it gets easier, but it seems the learning of it just keeps on popping up. Oh Joy!XOXO

Thank goodness prayers are free. I’m sending lots your way. Doncha wish these lessons in life would be a little more pleasant? P&L,

Hey Sunshine, it’s actally kinda nice to be wrong once in a while!! LOL That way your friends can tell that you’re human!! LOL Thinking about buying a Harley? I am on the road in Pittsburgh, working!

*hugs* prayers. My headache this morning pales in comparison to your version of the rhyme. Red to black is a friend of Jack. Red to yellow will kill a fellow, the bite will make you feel real mellow

and when the bite and poison doth spread, your head will feel on fire and be red. So if you are by that snake bitten, make sure your prayers and will are written. Ps, my mommy and i wrote the ending. 🙂

Twas part of my girl scout first aide badge and my poetry badge. 🙂 *hugs* Now why didn’t you learn MY version of that rhyme?

Maybe I should donate you a hair piece?

I get them damn lightning bolts too, but why do they always strike me in the butt? My brain isn’t…oh never mind…maybe I should be careful how I sit.:) Love + Hugs,

all this talk about snakes!! YIKES… Regardless of the color…RUN LIKE HELL!! Sorry about the headache, but I’m certain you will give it careful consideration! Be Well SW!!

I enjoy your entries. This one sort of makes me think of my yesterdays. Hope you will read it.

Nobody with such realizations and aha moments can be considered arrogant. You ARE learning, and as Aristotle said, there is no learning unaccompanied by pain.

You reminded me of a scary encounter with a coral snake when I was 14 — in a swimming pool of all places! I hopped out fast. Fortunately, our ranch foreman fished it out and chopped it up with a shovel. Until then it was very pretty.

HA HA (dodging my way out of dancing lightning bolts) !!

chutes

March 24, 2000

I hate it when the universe shifts around like that–kill a fellow indeed.

Sometimes lightning bolts can be revealing.LOL I would rather be happy than right, but I also love to be right. I try to never say “I told you so” either. People that do that annoy me.

definately going to get you an emotional power surger

Kidd J

March 27, 2000

This is a little scary..we really are alike.

Big prayer for you and a huge {{{{{HUG}}}}}. I hear ya too on asking the universe for a day off, I could use one too! Get me out of DODGE, PLZ??? I, too, would rather be right than happy…sometimes.

Sometimes learning is slow and sometimes it is a quantum leap. Your name conjures images of light glistening on sleek coats, meadows, and young pups learning to survive in the wild. Blessed Be,

KAZZZZAAAAMMMM!!!!!!!!

offering warm hugs and an understanding nod…

I guess we all balance yin and yang in our own ways. I saw a Copperhead down at the river the other day, it was beautiful and definitely not for killing. Peace amiga,

If you keep living in my head and stealing the thoughts out of my refrigerator, I am going to have to start charging you rent. =) Can you tell that I am loving your diary?