Now-you-see-Me, Now-you-Don't
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Friends know us better than strangers, are familiar with most if not all he parts that make what is invariably a complex whole; for this reason, a friend would always be my first port of call although I would never rule out seeking the objective opinion of a counsellor.
It has been my experience that counsellors give 'advice' they expect you to take. Me, I never give advice, but will always offer an opinion if asked or when a friend chooses to discuss a situation with me that I feel he or she is handling badly. I can honestly say that I never take offence when people disagree with me; that goes for my poetry too, just as well as some friends always find fault with what I have to say in a poem. wry bardic chuckle
At the end of the day, of course, it is up to the person or persons immediately involved in any difficult situation to make their own choice as to how they can best resolve it. All parties need to bear in mind, too, the old truism that you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time; those who offer well-meaning advice, only to take offence if it is not taken, would do well to remember that.
We need to remember, too, how easily the written and spoken word alone can be misunderstood in the absence of body language. A former 'friend' once took offence at a message left on her answering machine where none was intended; instead of confronting me with it, and resolving the situation there and then, she chose to send a nasty letter and continued to harbour a grudge thereafter. I tried to make amends, but underestimated the extent of the latter so was wasting my time from the outset. Such are the complexities of human nature, including some friendships. Needless to say, I do not miss that particular 'friend' in the least. wry bardic grin
Copyright R. N. Taber (2016)
Today's poem first appeared on the blog in 2016.
I once asked a friend who died a few years ago
how she managed to stay so positive even while she was suffering from cancer.
Her response was inspiring and I would like to share it with you all today,
especially while we are still in the grip of Covid-19. She said, "I take
each day as it comes and hope for the best, the best being not only a stronger,
kinder world, but also a stronger, kinder me. Too many of us forget how
kindness not only makes us stronger, but spreads as well. I
can't save the world, but I can do my damn best to save myself. If I die, well,
at least people will remember me for being a positive thinking person, and
hopefully some of that will rub off on them too." The coronavirus
continues to spread around the world, albeit, hopefully, on the wane despite
resurgent spikes; let's hope the sense of mutual suffering shared by a common
humanity will spread more kindness in the world too; certain socio-cultural-religious groups that preach love and peace while practising a separatist agenda/ dogma might bear that in mind.
In any situation that poses a particular problem
for us, there is likely to be a bigger picture than that we zoom in on with an
inner eye whose view will be biased from the start. In my experience, the only
way to extend our inner vision to accommodate other points of view is to to
discuss it with the friend least likely to agree with you for the sake of it
and unafraid of causing offence by playing devil's advocate. Some people, of
course, take offence at any point of view expressed that doesn't tally with
their own. (Religious orders spring to mind.)
Friends know us better than strangers, are familiar with most if not all he parts that make what is invariably a complex whole; for this reason, a friend would always be my first port of call although I would never rule out seeking the objective opinion of a counsellor.
It has been my experience that counsellors give 'advice' they expect you to take. Me, I never give advice, but will always offer an opinion if asked or when a friend chooses to discuss a situation with me that I feel he or she is handling badly. I can honestly say that I never take offence when people disagree with me; that goes for my poetry too, just as well as some friends always find fault with what I have to say in a poem. wry bardic chuckle
At the end of the day, of course, it is up to the person or persons immediately involved in any difficult situation to make their own choice as to how they can best resolve it. All parties need to bear in mind, too, the old truism that you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time; those who offer well-meaning advice, only to take offence if it is not taken, would do well to remember that.
We need to remember, too, how easily the written and spoken word alone can be misunderstood in the absence of body language. A former 'friend' once took offence at a message left on her answering machine where none was intended; instead of confronting me with it, and resolving the situation there and then, she chose to send a nasty letter and continued to harbour a grudge thereafter. I tried to make amends, but underestimated the extent of the latter so was wasting my time from the outset. Such are the complexities of human nature, including some friendships. Needless to say, I do not miss that particular 'friend' in the least. wry bardic grin
This poem is a kenning.
NOW-YOU-SEE-ME,
NOW-YOU-DON'T
We are
many parts
comprising
a complex whole,
something
of a riddle
to the
less discerning person
preferring
to home in
on sound,
intonation, inflexion
of voice,
whether theirs
or not,
to having any bigger
picture
in sight
Working
well together,
as parts
of a complex whole,
trying to
compensate
when one
fails to properly
connect,
hopefully
learning
its lesson where failing
to
acknowledge
its place
in the bigger picture
that’s
human nature
Ever up
against it,
all parts
of a complex whole,
no ‘live’
sculpture
as Galatea to her Pygmalian
who thought he knew
everything about his creation,
yet could not see it
for a human spirit's bonding
with its human heart
I am human potential, ever present,
for a human spirit's bonding
with its human heart
I am human potential, ever present,
yet now you see me, now you don't
Copyright R. N. Taber (2016)
Labels: common humanity, complexity, consciousness, culture. religion, diversity, friendship, human, inner eye, kindness, life, love, mind-body-spirit, nature, society, spirit, strength, weakness
posted by R. N. Taber | 07:26
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