Thursday, December 01, 2005

Celebrating Our Frailties

When we write our little blogs, most of us probably have no idea what passing phrase might stick out to others in some meaningful way.


Yesterday, I was shocked to read Life's Laundry, and it wasn't because it was risqué, titillating, provocative, or particularly probing. She somewhat casually mentioned how her husband thought up the melody of a song that he was commissioned to write: "it came to him clearly last night right before he drifted off to sleep."


How that could happen to anyone is totally beyond my comprehension. I believe that a similar thing happened to JK Rowlings who began, if I recall this correctly, to envision the Harry Potter series while sitting in a train station. This poor blogger's brain doesn't work like that ... when it works at all, that is. Even when I do get an idea for a post, like this one, it's pretty ill-formed, and I don't really know what I'm going to write when my hands first touch the keys. Even now, I'm not sure what I'm going to say next.


Yes, I am! I want to speak in praise of our differences, our unique gifts and talents. While I find it astounding that someone could compose music in his head, he might find it hard to fathom how I could design a web page, or how you could knit a bonnet or run a marathon or paint a picture. Those people who can do the things that we cannot do enrich our lives. I can't paint, but I can be enraptured by a painting. I can't play an instrument or make music, but I can become entranced by the harmonies of others.


We need to celebrate not only our talents but our shortcomings as well, for it is the tension between those two forces that causes us to need each other and, therefore, to build human relationships. I reflected on this a little bit last week as Cuppa and I drove into town, and she struggled mightily with streets and directions, trying so very hard to remember places and routes in the event that she might sometime have to drive herself. That's easy for me, but those dadblasted dance steps are incredibly difficult and foreign to me. She picks up dance after dance in a trice while I struggle mightily to learn just one routine. And so, we have become a team, each helping the other along life's pathways, the innate abilities of each supporting the weaknesses in the other. We're not even conscious of it most of the time.


That's why there are a quadrillion different occupations out there: something for everyone. Each job fulfills a need. We are all needed, and we are all in need of the services and support of others in many ways. It's the unique abilities of ourselves and others that, in part at least, draw us together, and that is why we must celebrate ourselves — even our frailties and imperfections.


 

11 comments:

George Breed said...

anvilcloud, I celebrate your cerebration! You have a wonderful heartmind!

Meadow said...

I so agree with this philososphy. Even one of my email signatures reads: Share similarities, celebrate differences. I believe in that wholeheartedly.

Heather Plett said...

Amen!

mreddie said...

Can so relate to this post. When I write anything - except these comments - I do it off-line where I can correct, delete, rewrite, etc. ad infinitum. Usually it's just a short phrase or an idea and I stack words all around it. It just doesn't flow like it does for some folks.

Then there are our differences, my wife is the inside the house person, I'm outside, she is the cleaner-upper, I'm maintenance. She's the sweet frilly thing and I'm the rough, bumbling old cuss that loves her very much and she loves me loving her very much.

Good post! Thanks. ec

Paul said...

Excellent thoughts written well!

Gina said...

I think it is rather a wonder that couples so effortlessly know how to prop each other up.

Hubba-hubba and I are the same way, although we haven't been at it for nearly as long as you and Cuppa! :)

Thanks for sharing, AC.

Dora said...

Just so there is no doubt....he DOES marvel at you ability to design a webpage and the great design talent that you have ::wink::
And you're right - there is a LOT to celebrate.

Bonita said...

Well, it just simply 'flows here', commenters and content, and all the little truths waiting to shine. Wonderful post.

Valerie - Still Riding Forward said...

Where you were amazed, I related. Have had songs drop into my head, words lyrics and bridge, all of a piece.

Torment? NOT having a pencil or paper to write it down with and realizing I was having to memorize my own tune before I forgot it. Seems like you would just KNOW it if you wrote it, doesn't work like that.

Viva la difference!

Christi said...

Sorry I haven't been around lately. I haven't had time to get to reading blogs for a bit! I love your new template, and the big words I had to click on to comment! Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Well spoken A/C, and so true. I also believe that being able to appreciate other's differences opens up facets of ourselves that we never even dreamed existed.