When I was young I sometimes repaired watches. I tried and failed many times. Sometimes I would lose my patience and hit the watch! During those moments, my anger altered my whole attitude and afterwards I felt very sorry for my actions. If my goal was to repair the watch, then why did I hit it on the table? –The Dalai Lama, The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom
I made a bad pot. For some reason, I always thought that I was special and different. And I guess I just have a really hard time when I want to be good at something and I suck. –Jeff Winger, NBC’s “Community”
The Dalai Lama and the writers from “Community” bring up a theme I’ve been struggling with lately. It’s hard feeling like a bumbling novice. But it’s even harder striving for something that, at worst, is impossible, and, at best, is ridiculously subjective–perfection. I want to learn things, I want to experience life. I don’t want to beat myself up like one of the Dalai’s watches.
As the end of sitcoms go, I think things generally turn out okay, for the best. If you pass me on the street, looking distressed and dishevelled, you’ll know it’s me when I stop in my tracks and proclaim, “Goddammit, I’m doing the best I can!” Or I might just angrily whisper to myself over and over, “At any moment you could die, the least you can do is try.”
Sometimes when people are vaguely complaining about mundane things, such as their DVR failing to record this week’s episode of “Community”, or China continually giving them reasons to wear their “Free Tibet” gear, I’ll halfheartedly reply, “Life is hard.” But fuck, man. It is! It’s also a whole slew of other things, but today there will be no devil’s advocating–life is frustrating and hard.
I accidentally got a psychic reading a while back, and she was right–I do feel like I keep taking three steps forward and two steps back. That psychic also told me that I’d be fine if I kept smiling. Which still strikes me as an obnoxious thing to say. As frustrating and hard as life’s failures feel, they’re often the things that teach us the most and open our eyes to the right steps to be taking. Strife and angst serve a purpose. Blah blah blah if it weren’t for difficult times we’d never grow.
Also, the Dalai Lama repaired watches?! I had no idea.