Pandora's Box (Old Blog)

I woke up this morning and went outside to notice how beautiful the weather was today. I thought to myself how much I love this time of year and this temperature and the "feel" of this time with Halloween approaching, the leaves changing colors and falling on the ground, football, playoff baseball, Thanksgiving around the corner and many other things. Little things like hot chocolate and wearing jeans and football jerseys without sweat pouring out of my pores (how about those homophones? where are these when I'm teaching them?).

There is just so much I like about this time of year. But there is plenty about other times of year that I enjoy as well. This brings me to my point. I get caught up in all the negative things in this world like war, disease, cheating, power, greed, corruption, pain, heartbreak, lonliness, depression, anger, loss, death, cruelty, and fear. All those things in Pandora's box.

I used to wonder why anyone wants to be in this place. You watch enough tv or news and you wonder what is the point of being alive? All this stuff is so serious and heavy.

Here I go again referencing a children's lit book instead of heady philosophical works like I should, but Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons mentions how Pandora's Box may have also had one more thing in it......hope. And that is why we continue on despite all these bad things. And it goes on about how there may be this other box with all the good stuff in it like football, victories, true love, romance, dedication, loyalty, friendship, excitement, college, 85, memories, runner's high, sportsmanship, your dad cheering for you on the sidelines of every one of your soccer games for ten years, sunny days, playoffs, babies, health, comebacks, charity, help, support, ice cream, home cooked meals, seeing your family during the holidays, reunions with loved ones and old friends, Cedar Point, fantasy football, march madness, golf, finding a twenty in your pocket you didn't know was there, and more. That feeling this morning would fall in this box.
Creech continues that if hope was in Pandora's Box, wouldn't worry then be in the good box? I always find that part interesting. It makes perfect, logical sense.

So on days I feel like this world is such a horrid place, I gotta remember this box of good stuff that also exists and are just as legit. I just pray Pandora's list of things don't overpower the others. Maybe that's what I'm worried about. There's no doubting good stuff exists, it's whether it can maintain and continue to exist with all the other stuff here too. This world may not be big enough for all of it right?