The Gratitude Attitude
People, rather us, as we are people – the collective us, talk an awful lot about karma. Karma is given the identity of a woman, apparently, as “she” is oft referred to in this manner. Karma is a B word. Karma will come back to bite you. It is the revenge of the woman scorned. That, at least, is the American interpretation, though we tend to skew things to our advantage rather than use them as intended, to learn an important lesson or illustrate a point. Karma is Hindu. But, we’ve done a bang-up job of misappropriating “her” into western society. The above referenced quote has even been bastardized. It should read, “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned.” And, no, it is not from the Bible. Also, it was not written by Shakespeare. It’s from another British dude, William Congreve. He wrote a play, considered a brilliant tragedy, called The Mourning Bride. This all went down in 1697, over 80 years after The Bard bid the world a fond farewell. And, this ends your lesson on karma. Because, trust me on this – listen closely, karma is bull poop. You heard it here first. Wanna know why? Because, I strive to be a good person on the daily, but I am a lowly sinner. I have hurt more people than I care to acknowledge. I have messed up the unmessupable. I have sliced people with words sharper than knives. I have middle fingered those who were only trying to save me. I have been a good person. I have been an awful person. I have been everything in between. And yet, here I sit, still trying, still plugging along, still offering up my pitiful penances and still praying for redemption and a kinder heart. Karma did not come back to me. She has not bitten me, nor has she scorned me, nor has she taught me any promised, painful lessons. In fact, I sit here crying tears, eating parmesan crisps, and drinking hot tea, in awe of how kind of a place the world really is – at least to me.
