Test Before the Lesson

I co-wrote a song with Rick and our friend Tracy, called Life 101. It is about the lessons we learn as we live from day to day. One of the lines is, sometimes you get the test before the lesson, welcome to life 101. My test started this morning with a call from a friend, I think it will hopefully end by tomorrow, and I can figure out the lesson that I am supposed to learn.

I taught a class based on the 58th verse of the The Tao a few days ago. That verse talks about living untroubled by good or bad fortune.......the first two lines of the second verse, Bad fortune is what good fortune leans on; good fortune is what bad fortune hides in. The lesson in the 58th verse is basically, good fortune is invisibly there in all moments of despair and we want to learn to live untroubled by both.

On a humorous note, Steve Goodman wrote a song about , it ain't hard to get along with somebody's else troubles, just as long as fate is out there busting somebody else's bubble, everything is gonna be alright. Tonight, I am glad that it is my test, my lesson, my bubble, though it is my friend's also and I feel really bad for her.

I talked with her today about the lesson from The Tao, and how so many times I think I am teaching my students, and I am really teaching myself. I know that in days to come, I will take a leap of faith and live what I teach. These are times that I wish I had my mother's core of steel, but I chose to live my life like water, I hope the rocks aren't too big that I have to flow around.

So I ask you all tonight, to send a little kindness, and sweet energy to me. I want to live my life with wisdom, I don't mind tasting the bitter but I never want to become bitter.

The yin and yang, the good and the bad, we all live it every day, most days we just forget that where ever we are in the circle, we'll be on the other side soon enough.

Good night, sweet dreams.