Chapter 2.5 Balance in All Things

Balance in All Things

“How are you?” … “Fine, thanks.”
“Como esta usted?” …  “Muy bien, gracias.”
“Bonjour, comment allez vouz?” …  “C,a va, merci.”

These are the only languages that I know a bit, but you get the idea.  All languages have a similar greeting that we automate out, usually not caring how the person really is, nor whether the person is truthfully telling us his or her disposition.  These greetings are like a hello with a façade of actually engaging.

I know this because for the last few years, when someone asks me how I am, I often will respond “Very average.”  From here I have received a multitude of responses, from “Oh that’s too bad” to “Well, that’s different” to “I’m glad to hear that.”  Of course some store clerks look at me weird.  At least the person listened to me, and usually he or she strikes up a bit more conversation.

If they haven’t blocked me out completely, I explain that, of course, it all depends where your average is … and mine is at pretty good level. I have offered the person an opportunity to engage with me, something we don’t do real well.  This person becomes one of my 150 for a short time, for a few days or weeks.

“On the average, everyone has one testicle.”
Anonymous

I didn’t get this last quote at first (being an average guy.) It represents what is called the “Law of Averages”, and this quote shows how it can be misused.  Now I really do try to maintain my averageness (and I’m getting pretty good at it.)  You see, I have observed and experienced that every high is offset by a low of equal intensity.  When things are too good, people sometime later take a hard fall.

“What goes up, must come down.”
Anonymous

When you’re feeling down, you are due for some good sailing (although sometimes it may seem like it won’t happen until your next lifetime.)  The trick to raising your averageness is to try to bring the down times up to a higher plane (not so deep), and keep those down times to a shorter duration.  This results in a higher average most of the time, and brings the highs down to a realistic level.  (You really don’t have to understand what I just said.)

“At no time in the world will a man who is sane over-reach himself, over-spend himself, over-rate himself.”
Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.),  Chinese Founder of Taoism

I should know my strengths and my weaknesses, my vices and my graces.  I should not need to impress others, only be true to myself (definitely not an original thought).  I am the only one who really knows myself … the only one.  (I have Mastered the Obvious!)

“Moderation in all things.”
Terence (195 B.C. – 159 B.C.)  Ancient Roman Playwright

Everything in moderation is a great motto no one likes to follow.  Are we listening?   High calorie food, ultra-thin divas, multi-million dollar CEO’s, homelessness, Congress, pro-anything, anti-everything.  As long as it has to be my way, specifically the Right Way for the good of my world, and not our way then we will continue to turmoil the earth.  We’ve been dealt a fairly tough hand here … way too many people think that their way is not only the Right Way, but the Only Way.  Yet the middle majority wants the middle of the road … not too far right or too far left … but who represents us?   Who will do the best things for all?

So we have to binge on moderation.  Just like a night of revelry and drink is offset by a zowie hangover, so does the yin offset the yang of life.

“Yin and yang are descriptions of complementary opposites rather than absolutes. Any yin/yang dichotomy can be seen as its opposite when viewed from another perspective.”
From Wikipedia.org,

The Free Encyclopedia

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