An Ounce - For Your Consideration

While living in a rural section of the Northern Shenandoah Valley, my family occasionally had the chance to see the beauty of an ice storm. The way the sunlight would stream in and bend color around the trees, fences, and every other surface was breathtaking. 

However, it wasn’t all beauty. Ice storms were commonly accompanied by power outages and a large number of auto accidents. During and after an ice storm, the roads became a like an ice rink. Those who felt compelled to travel frequently spun off of the road and remained trapped, unable to venture out on the ice, until help could safely arrive. 

During and after the more serious ice storms, my family and I took part in a rather macabre spectator sport. I don’t wish to minimize the property damage, or the personal trauma that people went through, but there was nothing we could do to intervene. We were fortunate that all the action was going in a direction away from our home. So, from the second-floor bay window, we watched. 

And, there we learned about choices and consequences.

A shocking tale about 2 rather outstanding characters who lived during the 1800s. One hailed from New England – The other all the way across the continent in the west. 

This Two Tale’ed legend begins with the romance of gunslingers, outlaws, and lawmen in the untamed west. Among characters like Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, and Wyatt Earp, there was one known as One Eyed Charley – Some preferred to call him Cockeyed Charley. 

The second part of our 2 tale’ed legend begins somewhere in New Hampshire. Mortality rates were pretty high among some of the settlers trying to eke out a living between the rocks and trees in that area. Often leaving being an orphan or two. Among them was a sweet, but rather determined, dark haired little girl. Left to an orphanage at a young age.

Hold-on, you might be thinking – what in tarnation does a dark-haired little orphan in New Hampshire have to do with a hard driving whip and stage driver in California. Hold yer oatmeal, and let me tell you how the tale of these two characters, becomes one. 

Have you ever considered how the things we do, the choices we make, and the experiences we have tended to follow us through our whole life. 

Experience informs the perspectives we have, and the choices we make. 

And in most cases, the path we’ve taken illuminates our presence. When we meet folk’s, there is always a first impression of who they are. Sometimes we’re wrong, and we have to allow our understanding of that person evolves and sharpens. But, most of the time – it’s pretty much right. 

Have you ever wondered what people see when they first look at you? 

There are those things we are proud of that we put out there with confidence – and those things that we would rather hide a little that show just as clearly. 

The path we’ve walked follows behind us all the time – some of the tracks we’ve left are absolutely clear – others are subtle – but still there. 

In an interview with Susan Meehan a discussion about the deeper meanings which are found in a few profound words. Short phrases from literature, conversation, and in this case scripture.

Those potential 'deeper meanings' are discussed and considered in the episode with an eye to listening more completely, looking past just words, to what those words might imply. 

It's a fun, but imperfect exercise. And, it is worth exploring in your own life. 

Susan Mehan shares an amusing family story. It is about something that happened when here kids were a bit younger. A story they often re-tell when they get together and always laugh at. The ones that begin with, "Remember that time...."

Every family has a few stories about improbable events. Some that were funny from the start, and some that might have been a rough at the time. But, either way, the stories bring laughter, memories, and fun.

Have you looked around you lately? Our world is a mess! 

I don’t know how anyone can watch the news anymore. In the picture painted there, it seems like the world is on a path of self-destruction. We are exploding with religious, political, and cultural differences. There are riots. Churches and Court houses being set on fire. 

There is another vision available. A perspective that is powerful and positive. Something better. Something that is – dare I say it without being mocked – Hopeful. 

I am not naive. I have witness first-hand the insanity and brutal callousness of our world. 

I propose to you - that as bad as it is – it is not as bad as it seems. 

NO! If you want to get a Boo-boo face from a young child, that’s the word you use – NO. 

To the child it means they are not getting what they want, they’ve done something wrong, and they might even be in trouble. 

NO – whether we like it or not, we are conditioned from infancy to feel that the word NO like it’s a club smacking us over the head. Nobody ever wants to hear the word NO, nyet, uhn ah, nope, or anything like it. 

We associate it with mistakes, failure, anger, lost hopes, and crushed dreams. 

Even more than curse words and other colorful language, NO is the worst word in the world. And the only thing worse than one no, is hearing a string of no’s – Like – No, No, No, No, NO. 

This is the kind of thing we might hear, or say, when the world is coming to a literal end. 

However, I have recently begun to have a bit of an attitude change when it comes to no. 

You know, those moments in life. The one’s where you can just stop, be in the now, and soak in the joy. No troubles, no pain, no loss, no worries. They don’t seem to last more than a moment or two. And then, in a twinkle, we are back in the real world. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just stay there, in that instant, where everything seems right. If we could just make it last. If we could just have a life that was set in a perfect utopia where everything is easy. Where there is no scarcity, no illness, no fear, or pain. 

Yeah! That would be awesome! -or would it? 

 There are times when what we see right there in front of us tells a simple and clear story. The evidence in front of us is so certain, so obvious, it is easy to understand.

But, it’s always a good idea to look a little further. It might be the things you haven’t seen – that are very much a part of the story – that will complete the picture, and give you real understanding.  

Sometimes the hidden things, the ones you don’t see, make all the difference.
_____________

Data Scientist, Steve Nouri, provided the following list of references.
Credits:
Wald, Abraham. Archived 2019-07-13 at the Wayback Machine. Center for Naval Analyses.

Wallis, W. Allen (1980). "The Statistical Research Group, 1942-1945: Rejoinder". Journal of the American Statistical Association.

"Bullet Holes & Bias: The Story of Abraham Wald". mcdreeamie-musing

"AMS :: Feature Column :: The Legend of Abraham Wald". American Mathematical Society

'How Not to Be Wrong' by Jordan Ellenberg (released in 2014)

 Things change as we grow. 

The perspective and innocence of a child progresses to the all-knowing confidence of a teenager. And from there, the confusion of the 20 something trying to find a purpose, a career, a family, and a direction. In middle age, we seek that deeper peace and a meaning for life, as we look over our shoulders at what came before. Finally, we get to a point where - either everything begins to make more sense – or we are OK with the fact that it doesn’t – or both. 

Sometimes the transition from one part of life into another is a tad bumpy. 

You have the choice to try to fight the progression and change that comes with the passing of time – or acknowledge it, and work with it. 

But things will always change.