the winds of fortune

"Yet I am of the opinion that it is better to be rash than over-cautious, because fortune is a woman and, if you wish to keep her down, you must beat her and pound her."
-Nicollo Machiavelli, The Prince

Luck is a funny thing. Just when you think that you have a lot of things figured out, something happens that changes your view on things. In my last post, I addressed the fact that I needed to start thinking about situations from different perspectives(using the example of how the Native Americans looked at Europeans stealing their land). Most situations are cut and dry where there is a definite right and wrong thing to do, but for other ones you have to really analyze your options and come to the decision that you think is right. Of course, just when you think that you have your mind made up, luck comes back and rears its ugly head by giving you another option. I actually stumbled upon that quote when I was reading The Prince this afternoon, and I have to say that I agree with what Machiavelli says about luck. He concludes that no matter how hard you try, life comes down to 50% preparation and 50% being in the right spot, at the right time. What we fail to see is that being in the right spot does constitute half of making correct decisions, but being in a perfect situation happens so rarely that we often forgo thinking that we could make a bad situation into a good one. Also, he states that the people that will be the most successful in life are the ones that can quickly adapt to the situation at hand. Once again, I have had many experiences where I failed to change my strategy and most of them ended up not working out so well. All in all, I'm glad that I discovered Machiavelli's work(in a book that I stole from PSUM's library) and it was worth the weeding through a lot of his more boring topics.

In other news, our flag football season is done. To begin with, I'd like to thank everyone that played on the team because it was definitely an enjoyable season. Our game Tuesday was probably the best game that we played all season. It's a shame that the season has to end so early because we are just getting into a groove now. In the first half of the game, we played stingy defense, but they still managed to lead 12-0. After we had a little team meeting at halftime, we had a really good drive to start the second half that ended in a punt pinning them down deep in their own end. The first play of their drive, their QB threw to my man, and I tipped the ball and shane caught the tip and returned it to their 1. Mark ran an option right and Pitch caught a touchdown pass. We missed the extra point, and it was 12-6. On our next offensive drive, they got a safety on us putting them ahead 14-6. However, we struck back once again and Jon intercepted the ball and returned it for a TD for us. 14-12 now. On their next drive, Mark came with a safety blitz and we got a safety to tie the game. On our drive, we had to punt. 51 seconds left now. In what I remember as a flurry, they got the ball down to our 20 with 20 seconds left. I remember running across the field in coverage and timing the possible interception run perfectly. The quarterback bit on the old trap and I had the interception. In all my years, I can count the number of balls that I've dropped that were perfect throws to me on one hand. It was muddy and rainy, but there is no excuse for watching the ball go right through your hands and into the receiver's that you're covering. The good thing was that he fumbled the ball into the end zone and we got the ball at our 10 due to the touchback rule. The bad news was that with 9 seconds left, our season ended as mark was blitzed from all sides and was unable to get rid of the ball. He was safetied, and we lost another close one. It was heartbreaking not because we lost, but the fact that we were huge underdogs starting the season and by the end, we were able to compete with last year's champs. Oh well, we still have one more game to go and we are going to do what we did at the start of the season: have fun.

In regards to the situation that I was describing, I still haven't made up my mind. It's simple, but it's complex. On the surface, it looks like an easy, one step decision, but there are so many other factors that will ultimately play a part in my decision. Enough about that now though.

Song of Myself(Poem 46)
By: Walt Whitman

No I, not any one else can travel that road for you,
You must travel it yourself.

It is not far, it is within reach,
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,
Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land.

Shoulder your duds dear son and I will mine, and let us hasten forth,
Wonderful cities and free nations we shall fetch as we go.

If you tire, give me both burdens, and rest the chuff of your hand on my hip,
And in due time you shall repay the same service to me,
For after we start we never lie by again.

This day before dawn I ascended a hill and looked at the crowded heaven,
And I said to my spirt When we become the enfolders of those orbs, and
the pleasure and knowledge of every thing in them shall we be filled and satisfied then?
And my spirit said No, we but level that lift to pass and continue beyond.

You are also asking me questions and I hear you,
I answer that I cannot answer, you must find out for yourself.

Sit a while dear son,
Here are biscuits to eat and here is milk to drink,
But as soon as you sleep and renew yourself in sweet clothes, I kiss you
with a good-bye kiss and open the gate for your egress hence.

Long enough have you dream'd contemptible dreams,
Now I was the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life.

Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, rise again, nod to me, shout, and
laughingly dash with your hair.




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