The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

 There is in every true woman's heart

a spark of heavenly fire,

which lies dormant

in the broad daylight of prosperity;

but which kindles up, and beams and blazes

in the dark hour of adversity.

Washington Irving

THE SKETCH BOOK, 1820

My thoughts grow conflicted when I ponder words of judgment like good, bad, and ugly.  I have known people who have portrayed themselves as good, but who have fallen far from the mark.  I have never really thought of people as being bad, but have known those displaying very demented behaviors.  And as for ugly, isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder?

There have been some things I once considered good for me, but now with science's advanced research I realize they are bad for me.   There are some actions I once thought were bad, like not attending church, but I definitely no longer hold that to the extreme.  There are objects that I once found to be ugly, but they have grown on me as my tastes have changed.

The basic nature of man is goodness, but through bad choices, he can appear to be ugly.  With so many varying factors, how in the world can I align my thoughts and make a decision!  Perhaps this is the point.  In many cases I will never know the truth of the matter and so I will never be able to decide.  More to the point, perhaps one never needs to decide on matters he or she knows nothing about.

So I don't sit in judgment.  I listen and watch, and I may assess and process, but I do not become rigid in my conclusions.  To form rigid judgments is just being opinionated.  It is good to have an opinion if you can leave your mind open for other consideration.  Many people have used the saying, "The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open!"

Do not misunderstand.  I do have passions of the heart, mind, and soul.  I will hold my tongue respecting others right to voice until I am disrespected my self.  Then my spiritual light ignites and hardily beams and blazes.  I will say my truth with clarity and dignity holding an open heart with compassion for others ... hopefully tempering the good, the bad, and the ugly.