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BRIDGE OUT - BLEAK EXAMINATION
Thursday Sept. 10, 2015
I’ve had bleak.
In every decade.
I remember.
I’d be foolish to expect I won’t see bleak again …
For many, times are tough. Case in point, conversation last evening. With someone out of work. He was let go, not for performance failure, but because of the economy …
Economies, statistics.
Bad luck.
Being part of any group of similarly out of work folks comforts nobody.
Each person sees only their life, their time evaporating shrinking resources – seeking any solution that will work for now, far less concerned about longer term – seeing fewer choices, disheartened. What can I/we do?
Give unsolicited advice, disguising our own malaise?
Having no clues to someone else’s feelings/psyche, can we be supportive or are we just part of some collective noise, those who don’t help much at all, annoyance?
But I think troubles (ie: money troubles, relationship troubles, job troubles) are words, not things. Challenges, not brick walls. Opportunities disguised as blows the head.
This community divided - (a) those who consider themselves so very fortunate to not be out of work and, (b) those who are, who find no comfort being out of work group members – we collectively sympathize with their daily competition, too many people chasing too few opportunities.
Their mindset struggles to create their own opportunities. First, none see themselves as member of the group. Their individual bleak IS bleak.
Maybe things aren’t really bleak.
Are you racking up wins?
Or more losses?
Energy spent vs. accomplishments, energy spent vs. spinning wheels, energy spent vs banging heads against walls, issues, people and more obstacles.
Each day taking its toll.
Issues, degree of difficulty, vary widely.
At twenty – invincibly, challenges seemed tough enough. We plowed through. We get older. Obstacles got tougher. We got better at climbing them – defeating them, not with brute-force or simply wearing them down, because we started seeing obstacles differently.
Is bleak a synonym for opportunity?
Each obstacle is what it is. Paint it white, it’s a white obstacle. Paint it orange … you get the picture. But if we paint it ‘opportunity’ could everything change?
Foes are allies who just don’t know it yet.
Obstacles are really a beautiful range of small mountains.
See bridge-out signs as ‘scenic lookout’ ticket selling opportunity?
Mark Kolke
written / published from Calgary, AB
morning walk: 5C/41F, clear/chilly, full lungs, full strides, awesome empty sky light breeze, brisk-long walk to the delight of Gusta and her owner! ….
Reader feedback:
THREADS AND SHREDS OF IT
This column really hit home. I would rather hear an unpleasant truth than a lie meant to make me feel better. I've lived that and now I live alone - so much better than navigating half truths that kept me off kilter for years. I love reading your column every day. Thanks for supporting me as I write my blog www.jmaydaze.com (not quite so often, but just as heartfelt), JM, Seattle, WA
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