Thursday, January 28, 2021

Paper, Rock and Scissors

 


The other day, I was opening a sealed envelope and got a paper cut on my hand.  It happened right by the part of the hand that folds over when grabbing something.  In other words, quite painful.  I started thinking about the pain that one little measly corner piece of tree/plant pulp (could've been bamboo, cotton, hemp, jute, etc. but I wasn't sure of the origin) could create.

"How can something so frail and small give birth to excruciating pain?" 

Isn't that the truth in life as well? 

A lot of times, the hurt we feel comes from something small.  Or at least it starts small. 

It could be something someone said or did that cuts us to the bone. A hurtful word, or comment, or gesture. 

There are two ways to chop down a tree.  Either small whacks over time in the same location or one mighty chop coming from a behemoth-like machine.  

Again, true in life as well.  Small, consistent whacks over time can prove painful. 

George Plimpton was an American journalist who wrote the book "Paper Lion" about his experience trying to play professional football for the Detroit Lions.  The title suggested that he was not professional football material because of his paper-thin athletic skills.  

Plimpton described himself as a "Paper Lion" but his impact on that team cut deeper than anyone could imagine.  

Again, the strength of the "paper" is able to gash. 

Forget the rock or scissors, paper always wins. Always. 








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