In the multitude of counselors there is wisdom. But you still have to discern which counselor is giving the right advice.
My personality tends toward confrontation. I don't know why this is and I don't like it. But try as I may, I can't seem to maintain my control and composure when disagreements arise. This has caused me no end of trouble during my lifetime.
I picked up a favorite old book to force some leisure time and read the following advice given by a father to his son. His advice seems to describe my personality well. So I'm going to try to reject this advice as much as possible in the future:
"My son," said the old Gascon gentleman, in that pure Béarn patois of which Henry IV could never get rid—"my son ... you are young. You ought to be brave for two reasons—the first is that you are a Gascon, and the second is that you are my son. Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures. I have taught you how to handle a sword; you have thews of iron, a wrist of steel: fight on all occasions; fight the more for duels being forbidden, since, consequently, there is twice as much courage in fighting.
Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers
I have always fought. I have always sought hazardous adventures. I wonder sometimes if the path more traveled might not be a better road.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteThis is the story of my life. My mother assigned the "marching to the beat of a different drummer" title to me quite early, as she was and still is intensely frustrated by my temperament and way of looking at the world. As a result, I tried desperately to take the broad path and to follow the local drumbeat, and the consequences are depressing to disturbing.
I've been told all sorts of things, most not complementary like Thoureau's description of the distant drum march. From juvenile names that I can't remember to airhead and bonehead and space cadet in high school... I've also been told to dumb down my message online. (I explained that I was not doing one-on-one teaching where I could get feedback from the person with whom I was communicating, so I don't even know how I could do what they asked.) This person said that I sound too much like Doug Phillips in style so they are afraid of me. (That one really blows my mind!)
So I feel, even on the internet, like I am as out of place as I can get. I don't know what people want, and I'm not here to serve people, but God. So I don't understand a lot of this.
Did you ever take the Myers-Briggs Inventory? My time represents 1% of the population. So I believe at this point that I am likely on the path less traveled by nature and not choice. I don't know that Robert Frost had all the elements accounted for. Even when I'm on the well worn path, I still march to the beat of the distant drummer, however measured or far way.
As I've said before, Cindy - Two peas in a pod. I, too, have always followed the beat of a different drummer.
ReplyDeleteI did take the Myers-Briggs at work about 6 months ago. I'll have to look up my results to let you know. You'd probably understand it much better than I do. I know I'm mainly an extrovert.
I'm just feeling a bit worn down these days with not a whole lot of light at the end of the tunnel yet and thinking that the wide road with the rest of the lock-step mind-numbed robots might be the easier path. Of course, I can't actually find that path, so it's all an exercise in futility.
not a whole lot of light at the end of the tunnel yet
ReplyDeleteI think they call that parenting a budding teen.
How true. Except my recent wear down has come from a huge proposal at work that I've been working on along side multiple smaller proposals, a couple of graphics jobs, and a couple of photography gigs - all occuring the same week as Vacation Bible School. Whew!
ReplyDeleteBut last week is over now - so a little bit of the pressure is now off. And only 7 more years to go parenting the teen. :-)