Beyond the Pale

Beyond the Pale:  (Ed. Note: This is actually a cool reference.  The Pale was an area of Ireland that was under British control so if you went "beyond the pale" you were potentially in dangerous territory and therefore outside of the limits of acceptable behavior.)

After a while we're going to find Great Truths that define our lives.  Some of them are universal - tell the truth, play nice with others, don't be so fricking selfish - and some are going to resonate with each of us personally.  I have a long Quiet Time every morning - and I mean every morning - but I'm not a daily meeting participant.  Here are a few classics I jotted down while on a recent Zoom meeting.

Being in the right now.  My personal favorite of the Irritating Slogans and probably the biggest hitter of them all.  How much do we hear about One Day at a Time?

I have character defects and so do you.  In fact, I believe I have every single character defect today that I had when I was drinking.  Mercifully, most of them lie dormant although a handful are not that dormant.  They're burbling just below the surface, like an active volcano.  And then there are a couple two-three that are bedevilments, activated at the drop of a hat and a constant irritant.  Self-righteous, indignant, dismissive, impatient . . . shit, I'm at four already and I'm just getting rolling.  This concept of character defects bites both ways - I take satisfaction in the considerable progress I've made and I'm grateful that these daily wrestling matches with the embedded ones keep me centered and aware and on my toes, always trying to improve.

The Line.  We all have a series of lines beyond which ye may not cross lest ye court eternal peril.  I try to be calm and understanding, aware that I don't know where you came from and what you wrestle with on a daily basis.  Some of the lines are obvious: murder, infidelity, racism, believing that football is better than baseball, and some are more personal, lines that I'm comfortable crossing that may be a bridge too far for you.  The point is that I should try to remain true to my Lines.  You fudge a little on your expense report from time to time?  I'm OK with that.  You cheat on your wife?  Across the line.  The behavior of the Keep It Complicated ringleaders is a perfect example for me: behavior that is beyond the pale for me but that most people can overlook.

To thine own self be true.