If I Had a World of My Own...

 

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”

-- Lewis Carroll

If I had a world of my own, everything would be what it is, until it isn't. Do you see? 

"Reality is what it is, and what it isn’t, it isn’t. Sometimes, what it is it isn’t, and what it isn’t, well... it is. Other times, it’s nothing, and then it isn’t anything. But, if it’s nothing, it shouldn't be, and if it isn’t anything, it already is, because acknowledging nothing makes nothing real. Therefore, whether it is or it isn’t, it must be, because even nothing that isn’t, already is."

I wrote this piece, some time back, after trying to explain to my father the adage, "It is what it is."  He was a smart man, for 85, but he simply couldn't wrap his mind around my explanation. This is, probably, in a weird sense, why I find "time" so fascinating. The "time" you have, in this existence, doesn't guarantee understanding... of anything.  Why? Well, because time doesn't really exist.   

Time is a human construct developed to give our lives structure.  Without time, life would certainly continue, but only at the pace of the individual. "Be here first thing in the morning" would be up to the individual to interpret, or the employer to explain.  Properly oriented sundials became clocks that became watches that we could easily take with us.  Reality is what it is, and time is a tool that helps us to understand it, and to explain it. "A particular bullet travels a set distance in a hundredth of a second, give or take."  Why "give or take"? Because time is subject to variables.

“I'm not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours.”

-- Lewis Carroll

To have "a world of my own" depends on where I want to end up. It is incumbent on you to move forward, put your life in some context, and develop goals that you wish to reach.  Your goals will probably change as you mature and factor reality into the equation of life.  As in life, however, your goals are not as important as the journey to bring them to fruition. You should strive for true happiness in all things, regardless of your situation or circumstances.  If you can be truly happy while attaining your goals, you will be truly happy after you arrive.

I struggled through high school.  I found my "future" when I excelled in college psychology, but, the draft for the Vietnam conflict drove me to the military "Intelligence" field.  I found my calling in Intelligence, and I spent 23 years working in the new field I excelled in.  Life is what it is until it isn't, and then it is what it is, again. When I retired from the military I was hired by, what would become, a premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board. My goal, toward a career in psychology, was played out, over a 40-year span, in ways I hadn't imagined.

Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

The Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”

Alice: “I don’t much care where.”

The Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.”

Alice: “…so long as I get somewhere.”

The Cheshire Cat: “Oh, you’re sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.”

-- Lewis Carroll

If I had a world of my own, everything would be what it is, until it isn't. Do you see?  Live your life and expect changes.  Some changes are good, some bad, but all are lessons we need to learn in order to move forward, so revel in them. You can fight change or you can go with the flow, steering around obstacles, and see where the flow takes you.  Am I sad that I'm not a psychologist?  I'm not?  If I'm not, it would seem I've been practicing psychology, without a license, for over 40 years.  I am content, and proud, for the most part, of the life I've experienced... so far.

I have accomplished nothing I had planned on, and accomplished so much more instead. It didn't matter which way I went, as long as I got somewhere.  As I approach 70 years of age, I consider if I've walked long enough.  I work on my blog every morning, and people take time to read it, so, maybe I have a little more road to travel. We'll see.

Everything is what it is, and tomorrow is another day. 

“If you don't know where you are going any road can take you there”

-- Lewis Carroll

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions, and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I have come to believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com