Isn't it amazing how one photo or experience can provoke such a remarkable thought process?
I have a question on this Tuesday afternoon, and it's also linked to a story for an image offered by Margaret and her friend Sue and posted by Elephant's Child for Words on Wednesday.
(Where we're encouraged to write.)
In unexpected situations,
Should we jump to conclusions?
Do past experiences cause us to jump to conclusions quicker than we wish sometimes? Here are my thoughts beginning from childhood.
"Every human has four endowments-
self awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination.
These give us the ultimate human freedom.
The power to choose, to respond, to change."
Stephen Covey
Case in Point
(A snowy example.)
Markus Zusak said-
"A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship."
(said nobody ever, in my life.- Me)
BLACK BOOTS, BROWN BOOTS
Without fail, especially after a heavy day of perfect snowball making white-stuff touched down, it begged our adventurous nature, to form two teams for competition. We were collectively known as the Black Boots and the Brown Boots.
For awhile.
Until someone ruined it for the majority.
Our young lives discovered quickly,
some good things eventually come to a bitter end.
"The productive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge instantly, correct and learn from it."
Markus Zusak
Essentially, the object of our Black Boots, Brown Boots game was to throw snowballs at each other, after dark, once the headlights of oncoming vehicles flooded the streets and yards. If you were captured by the light you were instantly vaporized and out of the game.
It was a frolicking good time until, that one child decided to fling a hard pressed snowball at an oncoming car.
Ultimately, that one faulty throw brought the end of Black Boots, Brown Boots as we knew it.
But our story was a lucky one, without harm to anyone. Not to be the case for a few teenagers elsewhere.
"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships."
Stephen Covey
Naturally, there was more to the dissolution of our game
and what once was productive play.
A new age of brick tossing, followed by boulders, came into play when a few teenagers decided to throw them off highway overpasses, aimed at passing vehicles. Of course, they explained their actions as simply, childish pranks, and supposedly were initiated as practical jokes. But, lives were lost in the process.
We store our experiences until eventually something will trigger them into play like a recent experience I had while driving in Alabama.
My grand-daughter and I were en route to a city park for us to investigate when thump, or rather BANG! went something against our car.
Of course, everything but creative imagination went into play in my mind, but Lyra's response was epic and clearly of her own free will as a youngster.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Oh grandma, it was probably just an apple falling from a tree."
How refreshing that was, and pretty accurate, since I didn't see a live soul anywhere.
What a carefree way to be, wouldn't you agree?
Sometimes, it's very important not to be so serious.
Maybe Samuel said it best.
"Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises."
Samuel Butler
