Do certain characteristics dominate our entire lives?
I wish I could say no, for the one I'm thinking of right now isn't a very likable one, and it is one that keeps resurfacing in my life.
Remember my sneakers formerly known as white Diesel leather? Yes, the ones that were covered in mud in Haute-Savoie where I fell twice in the mountains. They haven't been themselves lately; not because they've been blue, but because they've been brown.
My initial instinct when I returned from the trip was to throw them away. Sure, they've only served me a few times and they're pretty to look at, but how could I learn to love them again with the unremovable stains that scream out their impurity?
As I began to think about a replacement, I realized that this has been my pattern. When something doesn't go quite the way I want it to, or when it is marred by a slight imperfection, my first thought is to abandon or replace it. But certainly imperfect things still retain good qualities, and stained shoes can still be worn, n'est-ce pas?
Surely and hopefully, I can use stained shoes, I can read a used book, and I can accept my imperfect self. It's time to learn to love imperfection and to embrace all that isn't idea. Like Tim Gunn from Project Runway says, "Make it work."
Next time I go out on a date, I won't think "But his shirt is wrinkled." I'm going to keep my shoes after all, even with the stains.
No comments:
Post a Comment