The Millstone

[The Good Reverend Roger]

You should have known her when I knew her.  You should have seen her with her head held high, walking through the world leaving 3" deep footprints, stomping reality until it conformed to her wishes.   But that was more than a quarter-century ago. 

Things have changed.

Now she's beaten down by life, and the stunning good looks she had have pinched into perpetual regret, bitterness, and unhappiness.  She waited for perfection, and perfection never called.  There is a great millstone on her back, she says, and she can't move.  It's a damn shame, really...If she had have realized that perfection is the enemy of the good, or even of getting anything done, she'd have been much happier and much more successful.  Because sometimes good enough really IS good enough.

But she never saw that, and she sits there in the Midwest, spitting venom on everyone who comes near her, and wondering why she never gets invited to parties.  By this point, it would take 3 sticks of dynamite to clear her head, even just enough to realize that there's no perfect world anywhere.

In the end, she was serious about everything but having a good time.

Now, I can see how this might make people sneer at her; because WE'RE all perfect, right?  We don't carry around a millstone of regret for might-have-beens or things we could have accomplished if only we'd been luckier or better or if that <insert jackass> hadn't FUCKED US OVER FOREVER.

HAR!  We all have our millstones.  We all have cringe-worthy memories.  We all have our regrets.  But the thing to remember is that nobody can make us into something we're not, if we don't allow it.  We are the architects of our own reward...That is not to say that we are responsible for everything that happens to us, but we're certainly in control of our own emotions. 

Now, this isn't always easy...There's a lot of PTSD floating around, and everyone's millstone is unique.  That doesn't mean we should take that millstone and jump in the water, right?  No, we take that millstone out to the desert and leave it there.  Let those who have harmed us dwell on these things, and let's you and I move forward, into The Future™.

Yesterday may have been awful.  But it's dead, and dead things should be buried.

That's all.

[LMNO]

Yesterday may have been awful.  But it's dead, and dead things should be buried.

I love this.  I think I need to have this printed out and stuck next to my computer.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

This stands out too:

There's a lot of PTSD floating around, and everyone's millstone is unique.  That doesn't mean we should take that millstone and jump in the water, right?  No, we take that millstone out to the desert and leave it there.  Let those who have harmed us dwell on these things, and let's you and I move forward, into The Future™.

Too many people running around defining their life by That Horrible Thing That Happened. They relive it every time you talk to them, even if it was decades ago.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

This stands out too:

There's a lot of PTSD floating around, and everyone's millstone is unique.  That doesn't mean we should take that millstone and jump in the water, right?  No, we take that millstone out to the desert and leave it there.  Let those who have harmed us dwell on these things, and let's you and I move forward, into The Future™.

Too many people running around defining their life by That Horrible Thing That Happened. They relive it every time you talk to them, even if it was decades ago.

Or they run around bragging about being on the varsity team, until well into their 40s.

[Dildo Argentino]

Actually, there is no need to be more upbeat or positive than this. This, in particular:

"HAR!  We all have our millstones.  We all have cringe-worthy memories.  We all have our regrets.  But the thing to remember is that nobody can make us into something we're not, if we don't allow it.  We are the architects of our own reward...That is not to say that we are responsible for everything that happens to us, but we're certainly in control of our own emotions."

is heartening stuff. Though not actually true, I'm afraid. The real trouble actually starts when control of our own emotions is lost. Or not learnt in the first place. Though even then, there are ways out. And still, I think I get your gist and... right on.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Actually, there is no need to be more upbeat or positive than this.

Too late.

[Freeky]

I really liked this. It's a message to keep in mind when the little bits of awful, screwup, inconvenience or bad luck pile up and start getting to me/you/us.

[Dildo Argentino]

Actually, there is no need to be more upbeat or positive than this.

Too late.

TAAAAAAAAKEEE COOOOOOVVEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Luna]

I like this a lot.

Also, something people tend to forget is, while you're hauling that goddamn millstone around, you might just want to think about, rather than ditching it in the desert, see if maybe there's something USEFUL to do with it.

[Internet Jesus]

I like this a lot.

Also, something people tend to forget is, while you're hauling that goddamn millstone around, you might just want to think about, rather than ditching it in the desert, see if maybe there's something USEFUL to do with it.

Like milling Shit.  Or is that too literal a take on it?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I like this a lot.

Also, something people tend to forget is, while you're hauling that goddamn millstone around, you might just want to think about, rather than ditching it in the desert, see if maybe there's something USEFUL to do with it.

Like milling Shit.  Or is that too literal a take on it?

Like giving it to people who tell you you're too pessimistic, imply that you're mentally ill in some manner, and ask for a more upbeat approach.

[Dildo Argentino]

imply that you're mentally ill in some manner

I bloody well hope that's not me. Because I did not, you paranoid nutter.

[Internet Jesus]

I like this a lot.

Also, something people tend to forget is, while you're hauling that goddamn millstone around, you might just want to think about, rather than ditching it in the desert, see if maybe there's something USEFUL to do with it.

Like milling Shit.  Or is that too literal a take on it?

Like giving it to people who tell you you're too pessimistic, imply that you're mentally ill in some manner, and ask for a more upbeat approach.

Well I find that when people want you to take a more positive outlook on life, give it to them, in fucking spades.

If they want you to paint them a picture of a pretty unicorn that shits lollipops and cupcakes while riding on rainbows that lead to happyland, you give them a DEATH METAL unicorn that shits lollipops and cupcakes while riding on rainbows that lead to happy land in order to burn that fucking ville down.

It's their fault for confusing a screwdriver with a hammer.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Well I find that when people want you to take a more positive outlook on life, give it to them, in fucking spades.

Oh, yeah.  That's the one.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

imply that you're mentally ill in some manner

I bloody well hope that's not me. Because I did not, you paranoid nutter.

THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM ANYMORE, ANYMORE,
THE FACTORY SHUT DOWN AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR...
\