I Am Even The Natural Fool of Fortune?
This blog entry is dedicated to anyone who happened to pull the short straw in life. It happens to all of us every now and again, but some people get it more than others. I would say that things will get better with time, but that’s usually not the case.
In ancient Greek mythology, there existed three sisters who spun, measured and cut the thread of life. These sisters were referred to as the Moirae, but in modern times, they are known as The Fates. It is not clear how dominant their role in a person’s life was, and there are various versions of their myths. Some believe that they merely determined the length of a person’s life while others believe that everything that occurred within a lifetime was predetermined. Personally, I have a simple attraction to ancient mythology. That’s all.
I do, however, find myself secretly wondering if there is such a thing as fate. Can it be that sometimes, something can occur within your life that has reason beyond that which you are aware? Can something be ‘bound to happen’, much like the characters from Shakespeare’s plays believe? Similarly, is there such thing as Karma? Can good things happen for decent people? I have an aversion to such notions. I tend to think about life logically and scientifically, and I avoid believing in predetermined destiny. Our entire existence can easily be attributed to random mistakes and mutations; events that occur erratically that eventually lead to life. I don’t believe that someone can get hit by a car because that is their destiny; they just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Why am I talking about The Fates if I don’t believe in them? The answer is simple: It explains so much. To say that some things are ‘destined to be’ eases the human burden slightly. “Why did I get fired? Because that was my destiny.” It’s almost pathetic that we can convince ourselves to believe that getting fired had nothing to do with our incompetence. Almost. There is still the small part of our brain that wants to believe that some things are out of our hands. Some things in life are not our fault.
My point: Bad things happen to good people. Cliche, I know, but still very true. I would love to believe in karma–to think that if I try to be good, I will benefit in the future. Unfortunately, I have never seen a case of this holding true. More often than not, I’ve seen people burdened with fates that they did not deserve. I have witnessed people who had no control over what occurred become unlucky. There are many incidences that prove this theory, both in history and drastic events, and in everyday life. There is, however, one anecdote that rings true as I remember something that I had seen recently.
I know a couple who are happy, loving, and care deeply about each other. They are good looking, smart, kind-hearted, and all-around decent people. They have a love for life and they appreciate everything around them. Somehow, they wound up with the worst possible child.
The child is disobedient beyond normal for his age. He is so rude to his generous parents, that they don’t even know how to respond. The child is unintelligent, which is very surprising due to the genetic makeup of the couple. He refuses to apply himself and the result is failure at every attempt or endeavour. Because of his lack of application, he has established a negative attitude towards life and speaks very dark words that his parents really don’t deserve to hear. How could a perfect couple wind up with such a child? Surely the chances of this offspring arising from the couple are astronomical. Could it be that fate had condemned the happy husband and wife to a lifetime of misery, simply because they were content with their lives?
I can not say whether or not I believe in fate, to be honest. As I have said, I’ve seen many instances where it appears that bad things tend to happen to good people. Perhaps this is a mere coincidence, or perhaps I am overly biased, and can not see the bright side of the situation. Either way, some people have been given life-sentences that they do not deserve. And I am really, truly sorry.
