Yesterday I found myself limping as I walked through campus. I had developed a blister on the heel of my left foot and it did not feel very good. The pain, although not severe, was still rather obdurate and irritating. While I don't mean to bloviate, I generally operate on an "ignore the pain" philosophy and encourage others to do the same. Yet, this pain was intense enough to prevent the mind over matter approach.
And as I continued my venture through campus I remembered as a child, going across the street to our neighbors house to swim in their pool. We loved to swim but upon exiting the pool, a large black dog would attack our heels and chase us around as we awkwardly tried not to run for fear of slipping but also deliberately trying to avoid the inevitable nip on our heels. It was a trying experience but worth the effort to get to swim. The reward was worth the potential pain.
How often, I wonder, did Martin Luther feel the dogs nipping at his heels, or how often did Benjamin Franklin experience criticism as he experimented with electricity or developed the public library? Or how did Stravinsky react when his great ballet was jeered and booed. There are critics around every corner ready to point out the problems with an idea or ready to pounce on any sign of weakness.
It is always easier to avoid taking a risk and always easier to stay in our comfort zone. When we wrap a security blanket around us we insulate ourselves from criticism and although we are protected, we are also not progressing. A friend of mine once told me that most music can be harmonized using three chords, but it is the music that is harmonized in creative ways beyond the three expected chords that has made the most impact and has the most lasting value.
So it may be painful at times and it may be an irritant, but know that when the critics are nipping at your heels, that is when you are possibly accomplishing the most good. You may need some band-aids or you may need to make some adjustments to your step, but in the end the goal is to press forward and make a difference.
2 comments:
I was at Sopapilla's today and I got bloviated too. The buffet was just over the top. I probably won't be able to sleep because of it. Sometimes, bloviation refers to an animal disease - specifically the disease that afflicts air borne blovines, or "flying cow disease" - some veterinarians specialize in treating this disease and they are called, "bloviators."
Those who make definitive decisions can be easily criticized, but they are the ones who make a difference in the world. Those who insist on staying in their comfort zones probably are not the ones who will make a difference in the world.
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