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RIGHT THERE ALL ALONG
Saturday Sept. 13, 2014
 
 
 
Troubles arrive.
 
They stay for their time, and then leave.
 
Over and over.
 
Sometimes same-old troubles, sometimes new twists but it seems to me they keep coming in life. Like waves to shore. 
 
Sand keeps shifting, but waves of troubles keep coming. Troubles are like that. 
 
Good things are like that too.
 
Each day, a mix.
 
Few are completely easy.
 
We’ve had so much experience with them – they might unsettle someone else, but we are calm with them because we’ve seen them before. 
 
Others test, toughen and make us stronger, more hardy, more resilient.
 
Re-learning same lessons in tougher form.
 
Or, are these same old lessons wearing different clothes?
 
This week came. 
 
It left. 
 
Did it leave insight?
 
Or bring new understanding of life?
 
What’s your tally – new vs. old, same vs. different, left vs. leftover?
 
If we cary this thinking forward – we should expect the same kind of stuff/weather/troubles next week. And, if it is predictable, do we want another week, next week, just like the one we had this week?
 
I’m betting most of us want different. 
 
When we say we want different – what do we need? 
 
Do we want different results in dealing with those same-old problems? 
 
Do we want those same-old problems dressed in disguises? 
 
Have we really wanted to move beyond those old-familiar troubles, really tackling something new, challenging and life-altering?
 
I think many people dress it up colourfully, but really DO want same-troubles to deal with, same-opportunities to deal with – accustomed to their habits – afraid to stretch themselves to explore new territory.
 
Which side of this fence are you on? 
 
Or, are you sitting on it?
 
 
 
Mark Kolke
column written/ published from Calgary
 
morning walk: 3C/38, snow remnants gone, chilly calm with incremental warming forecast over the next few days was normal returns – whatever that is – and fall can unfold. Gusta was sniffing a hot-rabbit trail this morning, her nose to the ground caused her to miss the obvious, because if she’d looked up for a moment she would have realized that rabbit was within biting distance. Rabbit, relied on visual-flight-rules and scampered out of harm’s way while Gusta just kept her head down as usual, unaware of what was right there all along. I wonder, if that metaphor was meant for me this morning …

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