Doors

Every once in a while i don't have anything to write about until Wednesday arrives.  During the week subjects with various themes will cascade through my brain but get filed away for further thought.  Sometimes i write bits and store them thinking later they can be expanded.

Today is a bit day and here is a bit that i've left hanging from writing a children's book. It was the idea for the beginning of another section.

Turtle doors: 

Turtle's are land based creature's and water creature's.  The a-dot corns turtle guards the doors to both earth environs but especially to the Faerie realm.  Turtles are slow and plodding on land, but can rapidly accelerate under water dashing off in a hurry, especially if the faerie realm is in danger. 

The a-dot corns hadn't yet realized that they also had a stake at opening a turtle door.  They were so young and fresh, just starting out on their journey through Mr. Gafferty's life, that they had forgotten about the leaf that was curled around them when they fell into Mr. Gafferty's car trunk.

The a-dot corns are acorns that fall into Mr. Gafferty's car trunk while he is distracted one day in the grocery parking lot looking for his lost wallet.  Little does he know that for the next year these acorns will turn his world up side down when he carries them into his house in the grocery bag.  i have about half a book written but i put this aside to work on Irma and the Aliens which lately has also found a spot in the aside pile.  Putting both books aside represents my decision to keep my options open in the hopes that further inspiration will come crashing forth from my nimble brain.

Finding the bit above when i was searching through my ramblings reminded me that we all have doors that we open and close.  We can always tell ourselves that keeping our options open depends on what we have going on at the moment. Even irrational preservation of options, when all the evidence points to closing down can motivate us to continue a course of action that won't benefit us immediately.  Those doors we open and close may represent opportunity and loss so that preserving the ability to change our mind may actually work for or against us; costing us in terms of lost productivity, monetary gains, or personal relationships.

But what about the emotions when faced with the open door, closed door scenario?  Emotions are hard to deny.  If you truly have a great passion for something(a job, a skill, writing, music, a hobby, eating, buying things, reading, a past lover, a great friend or family member) it is almost impossible to close the door.  In fact even if you do your heart may tell you to open it up again.

We all struggle with life's conundrums.  Should we or shouldn't we?  And how quickly should we decide?  Will slamming the door mean we can move on or will it mean it will hover over us for the rest of our lives?

Sometimes our doors lead us to sinking ships we later find we should have kept afloat, but the decisions are ours and the doors are ours.  i wonder if people are more successful with "what-if" planning like checking the doors, or cracking them...or do those who pound the doors and slam the doors get more success but less satisfaction and happiness?

One study done at MIT by a Dr. Airely said that "Closing a door on an option is experienced as a loss, and people are willing to pay a price to avoid the emotion of loss."  Is it in our nature to not want to decide, to not experience the emotion of loss? 

Anything you have ever made an investment in, be it a club membership, a car, a house, a job, clothing, a relationship, or friendship says you have already put in the time here don't waste it. Giving it up is a sunk cost you can't recoup.  Most of us persist with "keeping the doors open" – in full knowledge that they may not have been maximizing their personal results, but it is keeping them happy. Maybe part of the journey should entail confusion and chasing between the doors.

What do you think?

Peace
it does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble or
hard work, it means to be in the midst
of those things and still be calm in
your heart
(unknown)