"Sir Richard, life is a game in which the player must appear ridiculous."
I am open to admitting that watching television is not the best use of my time. I dislike the way our culture fixates on movie and television stars. How dinner conversations revolve around the imaginary lives of people who don't exist. Or, even worse, the lives of reality stars who live such ridiculous lives that they might as well be imaginary.
However, I can also admit that there are times when I see or hear something on television that challenges me, inspires me, or moves me.
I was a little bit late to the Downton Abbey scene. I missed the first season and have been playing catch-up ever since. I find the lives of the characters to be fascinating and enjoyable to watch. And today, while I snuck in the last episode of season two, the Dowager Countess offered the above bit of wisdom. It made me think about how much time and effort I can put in to not appearing ridiculous. The idea of a game of charades, around which this comment was based, makes me feel all nervous. Suppose I got a word that I couldn't figure out how to act out?
What about that awful moment when you trip on your way up to a stage. Heaven forbid you walk into a door or spill your drink. And those are just the small things. What happens when you are fired from a job or your marriage falls apart? How ridiculous do you appear when one of your children makes a huge, life-altering mistake?
There is no way around it. Life will make all of us ridiculous at some point. If you have never been ridiculous then you haven't been living. Life means making mistakes and falling down and being disappointed. It also means finding joy in the small things, continuing to dream, and learning to let go. I can't say that I have a desire to be ridiculous but it would seem that I don't really have a choice. It is part of life. And I would rather live life and accept being ridiculous than waste my time trying to prove to people that I'm perfect when they can already see that I'm not. Especially when most everyone else is usually too busy trying to do the same to even notice my ridiculousness.
photo from: thekarmickitchen.blogspot.com
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