Specialty Post # 1

On page 591, the quote that I have selected is "The blues are the roots; everything else is the fruits, " by Willie Dixon. Although my interpretation is broad and may seem stretched, to me it means that although we cannot change difficulties that we encounter (or "blue" times), it is in our power to deal with such situations in a positive way, thus achieving "fruitful" outcomes.
The way that I have interperated this quote definately allows it to fit into my life. As do we all, I daily struggle with circumstances that are out of my control. However, one of the most important lessons that I have learned is that although we cannot change the obstacles which fall before us, our reaction and method of overcoming these problems is in our control.
For example, this morning, my day started off to an extremely rocky start. I had planned on waking up at 11:30 AM, ready to start a productive day filled with homework and laundry. However, my father had other plans for me! He believed that I should wake up at 10:00 AM, and start my day with a slightly earlier beginning. Even though our plans only differed within a 90 minute period, my father and I began to indulge in a screaming fight, arguing over principles and power. He suggested that we compromise on an 11:00 start, but I could not bring myself to give in to his micro-management, strongly believing that he was out of line to even suggest that I wake up at a certain time.
After tearing each other apart for nearly 20 minutes, my father finally left me in "peace", leaving the decision up to me. I weighed the consequences, recognizing that it was in my power to stay in bed until 11:30, but that if I chose that route, it would result in further interferences from my dad. Despite my overwhelming reluctance, I followed his wishes and tore myself away from my warm covers promptly at 11:00.
In this situation, although I could not change the actions or desires of my father, it was in my power to let them affect me positvely or negatively. I would be lying if I said that I did not have a severe attitude problem until nearly 1:00, but at that point, I made the decision to continue with my plans for a productive day and let my father win the power struggle.
Consequently, I ended up having a great day! Due to the fact that my father was happy with my decision to get out of bed at 11:00, there was minimal friction between the two of us. This allowed me to complete my laundry and homework assignments with good spirits, and even... the help of my father.
In conclusion, my blue morning turned into a fruitful afternoon and a successful evening.