The content of this posting was motivated by a chipped fingernail. No kidding.
I had just spent forty-five minutes, or so, with my FS (Favorite Son), who tried valiantly to help me get a video picture from my new Christmas-present web cam. The upside was a wonderful conversation with him (time.....the best gift of all). The downside was that after all of the clicking, restarting, waiting for downloads...............everything associated with installing what the computer 'sees' as new hardware..........we could not get a picture of me to show in the little black box.
After concluding our conversation and ill-fated attempt to bring good 'old Mom into the new decade with video calls, I discovered a chipped fingernail when my hand brushed against fabric. Closer examination revealed a tiny snag that I knew I should 'fix' or risk being annoyed all day. A quick reach into my handbag produced a nail file and, ten seconds later, the nail was smooth and that annoyance was easily dispatched. I re-visited my frustration and disappointment surrounding the effort to get the web cam to function versus the speedy solution to the chipped nail. Then I re-visited yesterday (bad idea, I know). The long drive that produced more questions than answers, the ultra-vexing meeting in the evening that produced lots of questions followed by vague, politically expedient answers - at best - and I realized that the nail fix was the anomaly, not the norm.
Here's the 'but':
But, in our society, we demand quick answers, fixes, solutions and remedies, don't we? We've created the prevailing fallacy that all weighty matters can be resolved with expediency! Want to lose weight? Take a pill or purchase a machine that will give you a sculpted body with only ten minutes per day. Have a personal problem? Buy the latest pop-culture book penned by a celebrity who has found all the answers. Need spiritual guidance? Find a mega-church that preaches what we want to hear.....not what we need to hear. Need to mend your finances? Call this toll-free number and an operator will be standing by ready to help take your money when you need it.
I realize that there are seldom easy (nor quick) answers, fixes, solutions or remedies to life's daily, provoking issues. 'But', I want them! I want the giant, neon sign-in-the-sky to light up with script that tells me exactly what I want to hear.
I don't think this is going to happen any time soon.
I think I'll just get my nail file out again. That was easy.
Ancora imparo
