“I try. Maybe I try too hard.”
– An elderly sailor named Giuseppe, whom I met on an airplane almost two years ago
Many of us have spent some time since Friday morning trying to make some sense of things. Tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School will prompt — and SHOULD prompt — a lot of soul searching and self-examination. In the broader context, whether it’s a tragedy in an elementary school, a family dispute (I hear they sometimes spike in frequency during the holidays), a job lost or a relationship disrupted — there is much to ponder in these times.
Figuring it all out would be nice, huh? Heck, figuring some of it out would be nice.
A couple years back, I met an incredible gentleman named Giuseppe on a flight from San Francisco to Denver. Here is the story of that meeting. (I provide the link because it’s a much longer version than the DD has come to promise…)
I don’t know if Giuseppe has it figured out. (He made it safely, by the way…) But I sensed then, and I wonder now, if trying too hard doesn’t push us farther from achieving understanding — rather than bring us closer to it.
Maybe not trying so hard makes a difference some of the time.
Leave a Reply