Ah, indeed, these are all on our property. But I am not "lucky" at all. Our lives are whatever our choices have been, plus a little roll of the dice, but far more choices (cue the George Jones song here).
Well, I'm going to try to not belabor this, but it is one of my buttons, this 'you are just lucky' theme.
But even before tackling that, let me say that there are NO "right" decisions. See, the belief that there are "lucky" people and "right" decisions is part of a faulty belief system -- or at least ineffective one. Rather than "right" or "wrong" decisions, decision A leads to result A; decision B to result B; and so on.
So I am not "lucky" I made the "right" choices to be on the (admittedly) beautiful piece of land in the middle of a culture I adore and mountains that sustain me.
But perhaps my point is easier made in citing today's activities. Tonight, here, on this 5th or 6th night of temperatures dipping to 20 or below F, I am not warm because I am "lucky". I am warm because this afternoon I donned a coat and hat and gloves and wielded a bow saw, a maul and an ax, and I sawed and toted and split up a bunch of wood.
And when I came inside to a supper of grilled cheese sandwiches, I was not "lucky" to have whole wheat bread -- I'd made it. Today. And I'd also made the cheese and the butter on the sandwiches, from milk I'd milked, and on a fire I'd cut and chopped and carried the wood for, and had attended all day to keep burning. Those are choices. The daily choices that make or break each of our lives.
The closest I come to being "lucky" is in my decision as to the husband who actually cooked the sandwiches while I read a book. (He'd also sawed and chopped and toted with me, as the children did also each to his abilities.) But it wasn't really luck that made me marry him -- I just did what the voices told me to ;->.
ah, I wasn't trying to say you got anywhere without hard work, I can see that you do indeed work for all you have. I was not trying to imply that it all landed in your lap one day as a gift!! if I may re-phrase what I meant by 'luck' as 'it makes me know there is goodness in the world that you've worked hard and live in a beautiful place and love it and look after it, bless you' how about that
And you know, I guess that's more what most people mean. And I don't know why I'm so sensitive to it. I guess I wish everyone knew the power of daily choices in the making of a life. It would be so powerful if the majority of people didn't think everything was someone else's fault or that the lottery was just about to hit for them or whatever.
great pictures. I was thinking of you. i caught a public television special called One Man's Wilderness. Documentary about a man who lived out in the Alaskan wilderness by himself for 35 years. he videotaped his life. cool and educational.
10 comments:
Ahhhh.
Lovely.
what a beautiful day, and place...
they lookk amazing, are these all taken on your farm? lucky you!
Ah, indeed, these are all on our property. But I am not "lucky" at all. Our lives are whatever our choices have been, plus a little roll of the dice, but far more choices (cue the George Jones song here).
well then, you're lucky you made the right choices. its a beautiful place.
How gorgous :)
Well, I'm going to try to not belabor this, but it is one of my buttons, this 'you are just lucky' theme.
But even before tackling that, let me say that there are NO "right" decisions. See, the belief that there are "lucky" people and "right" decisions is part of a faulty belief system -- or at least ineffective one. Rather than "right" or "wrong" decisions, decision A leads to result A; decision B to result B; and so on.
So I am not "lucky" I made the "right" choices to be on the (admittedly) beautiful piece of land in the middle of a culture I adore and mountains that sustain me.
But perhaps my point is easier made in citing today's activities. Tonight, here, on this 5th or 6th night of temperatures dipping to 20 or below F, I am not warm because I am "lucky". I am warm because this afternoon I donned a coat and hat and gloves and wielded a bow saw, a maul and an ax, and I sawed and toted and split up a bunch of wood.
And when I came inside to a supper of grilled cheese sandwiches, I was not "lucky" to have whole wheat bread -- I'd made it. Today. And I'd also made the cheese and the butter on the sandwiches, from milk I'd milked, and on a fire I'd cut and chopped and carried the wood for, and had attended all day to keep burning. Those are choices. The daily choices that make or break each of our lives.
The closest I come to being "lucky" is in my decision as to the husband who actually cooked the sandwiches while I read a book. (He'd also sawed and chopped and toted with me, as the children did also each to his abilities.) But it wasn't really luck that made me marry him -- I just did what the voices told me to ;->.
ah, I wasn't trying to say you got anywhere without hard work, I can see that you do indeed work for all you have. I was not trying to imply that it all landed in your lap one day as a gift!!
if I may re-phrase what I meant by 'luck' as 'it makes me know there is goodness in the world that you've worked hard and live in a beautiful place and love it and look after it, bless you'
how about that
And you know, I guess that's more what most people mean. And I don't know why I'm so sensitive to it. I guess I wish everyone knew the power of daily choices in the making of a life. It would be so powerful if the majority of people didn't think everything was someone else's fault or that the lottery was just about to hit for them or whatever.
great pictures. I was thinking of you. i caught a public television special called One Man's Wilderness. Documentary about a man who lived out in the Alaskan wilderness by himself for 35 years. he videotaped his life. cool and educational.
Post a Comment