The Rope

10/14/22 • 5 min

A part of the human condition is that there will always be something with which we will struggle. It is common to all, rich and poor, those with privilege and those without. Even in the lives of those who seem to have the perfect life – there will be struggle of some sort. Internal, or external and visible to all. Things that seem, in our perspective of another life, as small. Or challenges that appear to be absolutely overwhelming – and we ask – how could we survive?

Here is a tale that will illuminate the struggles we have in our own lives differently.

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Here is a tale that will illuminate the struggles we have in our own lives differently.

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

Previous Episode

Making Tough Choices: Don't add to the pile

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.

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Next Episode

Death Inside the Shell

Like most humans, I am a creature of comfort. I love to be in an environment that is familiar and secure. My backyard. On the couch watching a good show with my wife snuggled in at my side. Laughing at my grandkids as they run around willy-nilly laughing at each other and playing. I take great comfort and joy in good, savory snacks, and sweet deserts.

I’m guessing almost everyone can relate to this. We all have those places in our lives that we prefer, and things we have peace in.

Why would anyone go out looking for trouble?

Like those nutty folks who like to jump out of perfectly good airplanes, and then hang by a few strings as they float to the ground. Or the weirdos who enjoy dangling from sheer rock cliffs. Or the ones who choose to run an Iron Man race – 2 1⁄2-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2-mile run – that’s not comfortable. And there are some who willing choose to stand in front of large groups of people and speak – some would, quite literally, rather die, than do that. Or how about devoting hour upon hour – days and even weeks – solving a math problem. Are you kidding me?

The truth of life is that all of us will face hard things in life – they will be foisted upon us without choice.

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