Sometimes you're up, Sometimes you're down

Some of you may remember the children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day from library storytimes or re-runs of the television program "Reading Rainbow." In the book, the title character, Alexander, describes a day filled with the great misfortunes of childhood. No longer desiring to contend with the woes of his "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day," Alexander contemplates moving to Australia, where he is certain such misfortunes do not exist.


If I were to sum up my adventures of this week, I would title it, Meredith and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week. Now it is Friday, on the cusp of Saturday and I anxiously await the dawn of Sunday morning, which, besides being the day of the Christian Sabbath, is also a symbol of the renewal of the calendar week.

At this point, my readers may inquire, "What in the hell was so awful about this week? What is causing me [Meredith] to dwell in a quagmire of self-pity?" To be honest with my sisters and brothers, I cannot tell you specific events that were particulary loathsome. And, admittedly, there was nothing about my week that was completely dispicable, as I still have a roof over my head, access to food, and am blessed with a an exceedingly caring, if sometimes overbearing, community of friends. However, as bad days and weeks typically evolve, numerous small annoyances and "set-backs" eventually culminated into what I have deemed a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week."

In the spirit of the main character from one of my favorite television shows, "My Name is Earl," I have even searched for situations in recent memory where I posssibly committed ethical faux-pas. Earl, the title charcter of the above mentioned sitcom, is convinced that Karma punishes him for his misdeeds; as a result of his revelation, Earl spends each episode attempting to reconcile previous sins. The show, therefore, is a thinly veiled metaphor for sin and redemption and the use of "Karma," in my opinion, is merely a way for the shows producers to discuss theology while maintaining a modicum of political correctness.

I, along with Earl, have also wondered if sometimes life bites you in the ass as a way of saying, "straighten up and fly right, or else!" So, as a result of this week's overall prevalent shittiness, I have been introspective, contemplative, and perhaps even a bit moody (sorry everybody!). Therefore, I acknowledge that sometimes life is crappy. Sometimes, it seems as if nothing is going your way and that your only option is to abort your current situation and simply move to another continent, be it Australia (like Alexander) or someplace else, such as Tahiti (like me).

Of course...bad days happen in Australia and Tahiti and everywhere else in the world. Bad weeks happen. Bad years happen--read the Old Testament and you will understanding what I mean. What's important is to "keep on keepin' on," to never give up and remember that (to steal an idea from Tony Compolo) even in a good Friday world, Sunday is always coming.