Embracing Imperfection

It was Lord Chesterfield who said we should "aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable."

Now why would the second earl of England, a man who obviously did not find perfection in love (he was married three times, not to mention the number of other women he had affairs with) fell so short of the mark of perfection?

Maybe my Google and Wikipedia skills have caught your attention for a moment.

I was talking to my sister the other day, and we were, in short, discussing some songs that we liked, and suddenly, the question popped in my head - or statement? - "Most songs are written about people who got their hearts broken." That may sound like a bit of a jump for you, but I'm sticking with my claim. You could at least acclaim most depressing songs to that title. And then you could reverse the "unbroken" hearts to the songs that are all about the happy side of love. Either way, you're forced to realize that most song-writers have chosen to write about something intimately personal in their lives, including that which knives the heart hardest: brokenness.

This brokenness initiates the conclusion that at one point there was an unbroken heart, built upon a foundation that probably felt perfect at the time being. And to reinforce an overstatement: No one ever promised that life would be easy.

When people build their relationships around a feeling of perfection, their walls are easily crumbled. Expectations are held way too high for people who fall way below that impossible standard. Maybe John Gray was right when he said that love was nothing about perfection, but all about embracing people's imperfections.

Then again, it doesn't take a doctor and author to teach us that. Look at your own relationships, and think about your personal experiences. Every relationship you have is built upon imperfection. Almost sounds bad, doesn't it? But the truth is imperceptible.

I think this insatiable desire to expect perfection from other people is unattainable, just like our favorite earl said. Too often, we expect from other people what we cannot give to others ourselves. So instead of seeking perfection from our imperfect family members, friends, and significant others, let's act a little more like Mr. Chesterfield. Okay, maybe let's think like him more than act ;)

"Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable; however, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer it, than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable." ~Lord Chesterfield

Blogger's Block Was Only Temporary

No matter how hard you try, you can't stop what's coming to you. There's no way to make a deal with fate or trade places with God for a day.

Whether you see life as how good the deck deals you that day or how much in favor you stand with God, the future is an exciting, inevitable time that awaits each person. So much thinking, so much planning goes into a time that is unpredictable, inmanageable, and uncontrollable.

I read a good deal of what other people write, and I have to admit, there are times I wish I could write like other people. But it seems that no matter how hard I try to change my writing style, to mimic the thoughts that cross others' minds, I just can't seem to write any other way besides what I have learned.

My mind gets hit with these out-of-nowhere and seemingly DUH! thoughts that I feel I must blog about immediately else all hell break loose. For example, go back to the top of this post and indulge yourself in the first two paragraphs. *Go read it!* See? Exactly. I have no idea where those thoughts came from either.

Continuing . . .

So I decided to take a blogger's leave of absense for a short time to regain a little bit of myself, and decide whether I should continue my blogging days or give up the blogging intranet for life.

But there's one thing you forgot to factor in that equation. I'm a girl, and with my gender comes one force that is irreversible - the ability to change my mind at any given moment for any said circumstance. So before you start reaching for your tissue box and give up the dream that you will no longer read my blog, I would like to inform you that those days are far from over. Although I don't know the world of politics, and I certainly don't want to vie far into the political world, I do have something to offer to the eyes and minds of those who decide to waste their next five minutes reading through my latest blab that splatters across my mind and gives me that unending urge to type until my mind has settled down.

I also won't bedazzle you with any fiction, since every effort of mine to write a story ends with two people living and dying, all in fifteen pages (double-spaced, of course). Actually, I haven't taken the time to test my fiction-writing skills for the past couple years, but my fear and laziness are stronger than my ambition at this point in time (if you remember from an earlier post this summer, I wanted to write a book).

One thing I would like to start writing more of are movie reviews. Although I have a biased opinion, it is, in fact, an opinion. Let the depth of my writing implore you to read on. There were days I would just sit at the computer and read movie reviews, and I felt encouraged to think more actively when watching movies. Again, I'll mention from an earlier post how much I despise passivity, even in movie-watching. Although I have not mastered the ability to actively engage my mind through every thought process occuring in movies, I am interested in taking a more psychological stance when writing about movies. (Note that this is coming from someone who couldn't get better than a C+ in psychology).

I must admit, part of me has kind of yearned for a career in journalism, though I don't see that ever happening. I don't think I'd be cut out to be a Chloe Sullivan. I'm not interested enough in getting my hands dirty nor would I want to personally interrupt complete strangers' lives in order to get a story of the century, and furthermore, a job promotion. The job is appealing, but from this writer's mindset, not the life for me.

So for the few of you who actually take interest in reading what other people have to say, including myself, stay tuned.

I always have more to say, even when I don't say it.