Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Road More Traveled

If you are on a road with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.

Seen on a bumper sticker.
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When something goes right, that's a blessing. It's not a blessing that something doesn't go wrong. I must be going somewhere in my life because my way is strewn with obstacles.

The latest is my dead phone. The cheap replacement doesn't ring, takes messages which I can't access and doesn't allow me to connect with extensions. This is on top of debts I can't afford to pay, illnesses I can't afford to have treated, a computer that died last Autumn erasing about 6 months worth of Vagabond Journeys entries, and a bundle of other distracting bumps, pot holes and falling rocks along the way. Life is like one of those video games where you have to shoot the snipers or get through an ever changing maze. It doesn't matter how well you orchestrate and rehearse your day, you still have to improvise. It's like life is saying "You think you're so smart? Okay, let's see how you deal with THIS!"

To iterate problems and troubles is sometimes the first step for solving and getting rid of them. Another good step is having a sense of humor. I have known people who called me dark when I was going through the list of discords I had to deal with. But they didn't get it. They didn't understand how loaded down I was with things and how slowly things were getting taken care of or how much I was suffering under them. The reality was and is that I can sit here bewildered by the extent of things I have to handle and see the humor in it. How can you call a man "dark" who has an abiding and strengthening appreciation of the ironies and absurdities of life?

Faith is also an important step in facing up to trouble. Life may fling us into the quicksand, but life also throws us the rope. I have discovered that many times. "Whine, whine, woe is me" means you aren't looking for the rope. It may be behind you.

It's a lesson I learned as an actor: "I don't know how to play this scene and yet my job depends on it, but I know there is a way to play it and I know that it will occur to me." It always did, but it often took time and effort.

I wish there were fewer obstacles and less trouble in my life. I would like to spend some of my day having fun. A truly harmonious day seems years away from me now. But as it says, Is life just a road full of obstacles or does it eventually actually go somewhere?

The Vagabond
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SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)

In your opinion what is the most amazing thing that could happen during this decade? Make it as outrageous as you want but keep it within the realm of what you consider a possibility.

3 responses so far.

Answers will be published the first day of Summer.

dbdacoba@aol.com

Thank you.
DB - The Vagabond

6 comments:

Silver said...

DB, i feel sad to hear the rough patch you're facing and yet,admire that you simply refuse to be defeated by them all. We need to be resilient, to be defiant in the face of all the adversities thrown our way.

hugs,
Silver

Big Mark 243 said...

Things are challenging, but this time too shall pass. Stay the faith.

Liz said...

DB,
I sense that you have played the role of the actor all your life in the real world.
Perhaps virtual reality is now asking you to play the role that you were born to explore.
The words you previously learned are insufficient to describe the world you live in.
You are required to write the words that describe the world you know.
You can never be just an actor on a stage spouting prewritten words.
Did you ever feel complete when doing so?
If the answer is no then you are not just an actor on the stage.

Ally Lifewithally said...

DB I am so sorry you are having a bit of a hard time ~ but hopefully this will soon pass and your road with be clear and free of any big obstables in the future :o) ~ Ally x

Ken Riches said...

I cannot imagine going through life without a sense of humor. Glad yours helps you.

Lori said...

"Dark" is certainly not an adjective I would apply to you! lol
By the way, thank you for commenting on my daughter's blog. She told me she had a comment from someone she didn't know and asked if I knew "her". She said, "her name is DB". I said, "Oh, yes, DB's fine, and it's a 'he', not a 'she'."