It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
As memorable an opening sentence in literature as there ever was, I wonder how long Dickens worked on that classic phrase. Dickens was describing the time of the French revolution, but do you think that he could be describing the present time? We are emerging from a devastating epidemic, we hope. We are hopeful again, but we are also leery about what’s around the corner.
Whether it is the best or worst, really depends on the individual, and to some extent the individual’s attitude. I remember asking my grandfather, “How are you doing, Pop.” He was always say, “I’ve had better days, then again I’ve had worse.” I have also learned not to say that things can’t be any worse, because then they become worse.
Perhaps, it is not a matter of best or worst, but the reality of the moment. Wisdom teaches us to handle things as they come, both the good and the bad. What do you think?
Webb, I agree with you… lit’s taken me a LOT of years to get to this point, but I now try to choose “the wors: of times” in my experience as opportunities to learn the lesson that is embedded in the experience, and to regard the “best” and “worst” with as much positivity and joy as I can muster in the moment.