I'm sitting on the trainer yesterday thinking this is just like having a toothache. Not the excruciating pain you may feel hitting yourself in the kneecap with a hammer, but a lingering, mind numbing kind of pain that won't go away. So I tried to do some mental exercises to pass the time away. Some math basically. First I converted 112 mile into kilometres by multiplying by 1.609 and got it right to 3 decimal places. Then I converted 2.4 miles into kilometres and again got it bang on. The last one was a bit trickier as I had to do a bit of rounding and I was out by 5 seconds. The challenge was to convert a swim pace of 9 mins, 15 seconds per 500 metres, into a total time for 3.86 kms.
Of course unlike the toothache of my analogy I could have ended it all by just getting off the bike and using my calculator. But I'm not that kind of guy. I am definitely the "no pain, no gain" kind of guy and I don't mind the reality of that. I am not afraid to to the short term things that I need to do, to get the long term rewards I want, and know, I will get. As I processed that awareness I could back it up with many examples in my life, not the least of which is my triathlon training. I thought of things like the long hard hours I put in at my work over the years, the energy I put into taking care of our home and property, and the reading and studying I have done to try to improve my mental capacity.
But then.....I realized there was a significant example in my life in which I did not live by my philosophy, and it was the helping/enabling issue I talked about 2 days ago. Why is it so hard for me to do the short term painful things I need to do for my kids, in order that they may become the persons they are most capable of being over the long haul? And I soon discovered the answer. Unlike riding the trainer, digging a trench, or studying a difficult technical manual, the pain of saying 'tough luck' to my children does not go away once the activity is over. It lingers like an untreated toothache.
Unfortunately just understanding the difference does not change the reality and that is why I bought the book. While it is indeed helping me, it is in itself a bit painful because it spells out a lot of truths I don't want to hear. I will of course finish it because I know I need to. NO PAIN-NO GAIN.
But the book did give me a great smile, the contradiction I mentioned yesterday. The author, Allison Bottke is an intelligent, educated, articulate woman who speaks from personal experience. Somewhere during her dark times she was "saved" or "born again" or some other such miracle transformation, and unfortunately this results in advice that is more than just slightly "christianized" That's ok though as I can skip through those parts to get to the good stuff, and not let it get to me. Whatever makes your hair blow back is good with me. It does amaze me however how this intelligent person can spend the first several chapters of the book "preaching" self responsibility on all accounts, for all parties, and then give us this.
""And surely any knowledgeable parent--particularly a Christian parent --will have to acknowledge the reality and powerful influence of evil. As Christains we understand Satan's ability to corrupt and destroy a human life"
I'm glad to know that "The Devil Made Me Do It" is still an acceptable last resort cop-out if you have exhausted all other excuses!!
(Swim, 1500 metres, run 7.2 kms)
“It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui."---Helen keller
"Calvin: Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to thetemptation, corruption, and destruction of man? Hobbes: I'm not sure that man needs the help"
Love
Peter
I love the quotes and I think you should never pass up an opportunity to use the word ennui. I have always struggled with wanting the quick fix especially if it's for my kids,and I think the technology available today makes people more prone to expecting instant gratification, but the journey I'm currently on getting this old body into shape has been an extended one, so maybe I'm learning at least in some ways to struggle through the pain and wait for the gain. Thanks for the inspiration Love Betty Boop
ReplyDeleteThat's a really funny contradiction, heh. But it's interesting how such a contradiction goes unnoticed by the author when one is so immersed in one's religion. I see this contradiction a lot, when people say things like "it's in God's hands" or "it's God's plan for us". Really? Well, if God already has a divine plan all set out for us, then I guess there is no room for agency; it's no use making any choices or accepting any responsibility for anything, 'cause God already has my life planned out for me!
ReplyDeleteGeorge Carlin has a fun quote on this:
"Remember that? The Divine Plan. Long time ago, God made a Divine Plan. Gave it a lot of thought, decided it was a good plan, put it into practice. And for billions and billions of years, the Divine Plan has been doing just fine. Now, you come along, and pray for something. Well suppose the thing you want isn't in God's Divine Plan? What do you want Him to do? Change His plan? Just for you? Doesn't it seem a little arrogant? It's a Divine Plan. What's the use of being God if every run-down shmuck with a two-dollar prayerbook can come along and fuck up Your Plan?
And here's something else, another problem you might have: Suppose your prayers aren't answered. What do you say? "Well, it's God's will." "Thy Will Be Done." Fine, but if it's God's will, and He's going to do what He wants to anyway, why the fuck bother praying in the first place? Seems like a big waste of time to me! Couldn't you just skip the praying part and go right to His Will? It's all very confusing."
I like your quotes this week, too, Dad.
Love,
Michael