I'm a Frayed Knot

A rope walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, "We don't serve ropes in here." So the rope goes outside and twists himself into a ball, teases his top and goes back into the bar. The bartender sees him and asks, "Aren't you the rope that just tried to order a drink?" The rope replies, "I'm a frayed knot."

Some days I feel beaten down by the world, as if no matter how hard I try I'm going to get knocked back every so often just to keep me humble. For instance, if gas prices drop, my car breaks down. If I get a good idea for dinner, that'll be the time the lid falls off the salt shaker and ruins it. Or better yet, the time I'm 15 seconds late is the time the bus is 30 seconds early. My mother would say you have to take the bad with the good.

I'd rather curse Murphy and his damn laws for all of it. I mean, it can never be my fault. It couldn't be that the car needed a new fan belt because it gets driven a lot. Or that the lid on the salt shaker was loose to begin with because I didn't tighten it right when I filled it up. Or how about that I always cut it close with the bus so really I should be getting there earlier so I can stop running.

Perhaps it's a change in mindset that is required here. No more blaming the imaginary laws of irony. How about blaming myself? Mistakes, after all, are human-made. No apologies, just change my ways and try to do better the second time around, if I get a do-over. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

That rope had it right...if you don't get what you want in life, change something about yourself and try again. It's time to take responsibility for my actions and quit looking for a scapegoat in every little thing.

And if Murphy rears his head and tries to convince me that he's to blame, I'll stand proud and respond, "I'm afraid not."