This weekend, I'm dealing with consequences from some of my recent choices. Consequences I can handle. In nature, I once said to a friend, there are no punishments; there are only consequences. I heard that somewhere when I was a kid, and it's always stuck with me. It bespeaks of how everything we experience, whether we appreciate it or not, are all the results of our own choices and actions. Part of taking personal responsibility for oneself, for recognizing one's own agency in a matter, means being willing to accept what happenstances come as a result and then dealing with them.
I do think, however, that some of what I'm facing this weekend is a little punitive. There, perhaps, lies the role of punishments, which, perhaps, serves me as a reminder that human culture is not this idealized image of nature per se. People enjoy being punitive.
It's work-related nonsense that I'm dealing with. I made a poor choice and my wrist is getting slapped. My union steward tells me everything will be hunkydory, but meanwhile I get to enjoy a weekend off. Taking advantage of the sudden free time, I took myself out to see Margaret Cho perform, and she reminded me again that there is much to life that we often prevent ourselves from passionately embracing.
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