This is a great article by Chris Broussard (ESPN The Magazine) about the impossible task of becoming the next Michael Jordan. To sum it up: NO ONE can or ever will.
I miss MJ so much…
Brief and to the point: How does one quantify time?
Has enough time passed? Perhaps you need more time to figure it out? Take all the time you need and get back to me.
I think that I believe in time’s healing qualities. However, I get conflicted when I try to determine how much time it takes to heal particular situations. I’ve concluded that it’s deeply personal and unique to an individual. Therein lies the irony of quantifying time for anyone other than yourself.
It may take a person 1 hour to recover from the loss of a loved one. Some may never quit the grieving process. What the hell does it matter either way? People have their own way of dealing with their own issues. I think we need to come to grips with this concept.
First and foremost, I am in no way challenging the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, or Buddhist philosophy of Karma. I won’t even pretend to grasp the existence of Karma the way it is meant to be understood by religious standards. My qualm is with the overused, cliche, and Westernized “understanding” of Karma.
I hear so many people question their Karma on a daily basis. I often contemplated the same thing after having all of my stuff stolen (I still hate you, whoever you are). However, I’ve realized that most of us have no idea what we are talking about with regards to Karmic cause and effect. I’ll start with myself…
I’ve gone through ups and downs like any other person on this planet. It’s the “downs” that usually cause a person to ponder justification. Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? Enter temporary and partial belief in Karma. Have I done more “bad” than “good” to entitle me to this? Do I have bad Karma!?!
Ridiculous!
Life does not work that way. There isn’t a balance element to a person’s life with regards to good and evil deeds. Life just happens. I think you can control certain elements, but in general, it’s usually going to be a surprise. You can’t worry about the things you have done in the past. Furthermore, you can’t fret over the things that will happen in the future. I’m pretty sure there are serial killers who have had better fortune than some missionaries. You have to adjust your mindset to be able to adapt to anything. Which brings me to other people…
I’ve seen some shitty things happen to wonderful people in the last week. I sat and listened as they questioned their own Karma while simultaneously thinking, “damn, you are as pure as they come…this is not a matter of Karma”. I’ve also seen great things happen to bad people. Hell, the people who took my shit got a pretty good deal out of being thieving, spineless bitches.
This really isn’t a “winnable” argument either way. Some people think the way I do. Some people believe that what goes around will truly come around. Without the gift of foresight, there is no way to tell. I just think Karma needs to be omitted from the debate…
Three guys walk into a bar on a Saturday night. They’ve exhausted the local scene, so they catch a cab to North Beach in an effort to try something new. The driver slowly rolls through north San Francisco until a particular Hawaiian bar catches their eyes. They enter the relatively empty, creepy bar at around 8 PM. Beers are ordered, the balls are racked, and a slutty patron/employee (who knows?) becomes the 4th member of a 2 vs. 2 game of 8-ball. Her breath resembles elephant dung and she has almost definitely not showered in 4 days. In any event, this drunk, pompous diva proceeds to horrify our heroes to the point of considering homosexuality as a better alternative to whatever she may have to offer. After a few insanely inappropriate jokes by the owner of the bar (and the arrival of a man who is almost definitely the leader of the SF Triad), their tab is immediately closed. Upon exiting the bar, this conclusion is reached:
“We must complete this night by going to the creepiest bars that San Francisco has to offer. We will have one beer at each bar. If any particular bar is too horrifying, we will take a shot and run”
With that, Creepycrawlsf has been born…
