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And at the time it all seems like a good idea, the escape is fun and satisfying and provides a much needed break or release from the stress of daily living, the notion of retreat is appealing and subsequently liberating, but then comes the crash. The hangover. The warrant. The arrest.
And six months, or six years, or six decades later we look back at our lives, it seems to all go by so fast, and we ask ourselves, absolutely bewildered, how and why did I end up where I am? And we cannot answer that question because it was all such a blur. All that running, all that constant escaping from life and its challenges left little time for looking over our shoulders. And there we are, six months, years, or decades later, strung out on something of which we took too much, or lying in a pool of our own vomit, bottles of jack strewn about our dump of an apartment, standing at the center of our wasteland of a life with the ex-wife and four estranged kids staring at us from a distance. The friend, hurt and confused having tried desperately to approach, giving up after being constantly rebuffed, standing far, far away with a tear running down his cheek and sadness in his eyes.
However, assuming we understand that following the path of least resistance can have as bad or worse consequences than the very problem from which we are running, what then are we to do; what options have we left?
wow. thank you for sharing. I really needed to hear this now. Right after deciding i wanted to give up fighting.
Soliek, I don’t mean this derisively but are you writing from personal experience? Here’s a couple of my thoughts:
While we’re speaking of Thoreau, A more accurate description of the Human condition would be, “Most men lead lives of quiet desparation.” Most folks don’t escape, they just plod on.
Sometimes the path of least resistance is the right one. Challange isn’t always good.
I just love those rare moments when things start out with, “Joseph Stalin once said….” lol
Great first line.
Can you provide a mareh makom for the medrash in bereishis you quote?
Hi soliek.
It really is about the first line to a good degree.
As I am sure you know, being you are a writer, writers toil over an opening line and know it sometimes can make or break a book.
I’m not questioning you, or your understanding of the medrash. I am ultimately probably not disagreeing with you either. The reason I asked is because I wanted to see it for myself. I have been told that the statement that “Hashem never gives a person a challenge that he cannot overcome”, is not accurate. Hashem does give people challenges that they can not overcome, on their own, however, he always provides the necessary “support system” needed to overcome a challenge. Going solo, a person can fail a challenge because they are not equipped to handle the challenge alone. However, the support system needed to handle the challenge is always provided by Hashem. That is what I have heard, and it is perhaps what you mean. It is the reason I want to see the midrash inside for myself.
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