Monday, September 21, 2009

Lucky Man

I can't help it if I'm lucky.

I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but I always landed on my feet. I flunked out of graduate school, but then lucked into a government job and found a home there. Growing up, I was too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam. My son was too young for Vietnam and too old for Iraq.

Where we used to live, when the storms were felling big trees and flooding out the rest of the city, we were always spared. Now that we've moved, the old home place is taking the brunt of the fury, and we are again spared. This morning, I'm lucky that I don't have to go anywhere.

Yahweh is setting me up for something.

4 comments:

Larry Blumen said...

A private correspondent wants to know if I think Yahweh is setting me up for something good, or something bad.

The Yahweh, of whom I speak, is the deity described by Harold Bloom in his book, "Jesus and Yahweh - The Names Divine" - essentially a wood spirit with an attitude, who does not necessarily have my best interests at heart. It could go either way.

pegshack said...

I'm betting on the good!

ezcon said...

Like you, I feel I've been pretty lucky all my life. Writing that, I knock wood, as a show of gratitude. The show of gratitude is for myself and whomever is (or might be, in the case of some divine entity) with me.

Like you, I'm also waiting for the other shoe to fall (or get thrown). Is it possible that, like a frog in water that's gradually heated to boiling, I'll go quietly from this life not having suffered any major pain or suffering? It scares me to even ask the question. I'm strongly tempted to erase this entire post immediately, imagining one or both of us remarking next week at the irony that I made these statements, asked this question, right before running head-on into one of life's painful catastrophes.

On the other hand, does [Yahweh] really bother with the fine print that documents the life of a single, globally inconsequential person?

Larry Blumen said...

ezcon:

Great comment! I'm glad you didn't erase it.

As you can see from pegshack above, I have better angels rooting for me, but I agree that, when we contemplate Yahweh, all bets are off.