A few years ago a co-worker said that her living-philosophy was "it is what it is." At that time I was aware that mine was, "NOOOOO!!!"

Well, pardon me for venting---I'm sure that means I still haven't arrived comfortably with "it is what it is." I hope I do get there---probably make life much less emotionally tumultuous.

Anyway---venting---makes me sad, makes me mad--wnen

someone asks a question and then doesn't actually wait for or apparently want an actual answer. Maybe I go and research so I have an answer--but turns out the question was just tossed out there, but no answer or discussion is actually wanted or expected. Topics like religious ones (An old-geezer home teacher when we were first married challenged me about something in Hebrews one time: I spent the rest of the month reading Hebrews in several translations, and thinking about the question. I guess I wasn't assertive enough; I should have brought it up myself and didn't, but I have never forgotten that he threw out this challenge and then, I expect, promptly forgot about it. "Let's make her think!!"---but no actual follow-up discussion. Happens quite often in my little circle.

Or When someone throws out some sort of irrelevant or blatantly prejudiced comment, and then is hurt if you don't respond, like you don't want to talk with them.

Examples. Passing a winery---Hey, they're having a tasting; want to go taste some wine? (This said by a TBM.)

Or, driving through some little isolated town out in the desert, "Oh, hey, there's a ranch for sale; want to buy a ranch in ....place?" I hear: "I don't really care about our home that we've made in beautiful place where we already live."

Other kinds of examples are of the "Muslims--think, do, are..." evangelical Christians--think, do, are..." Millenials--think, do, are..." Like, somebody in one group or another does something offensive or even dangerous and devestating---and so all people in that labeled group are and can be labeled as....

OK. That's the vent. You guys listen and answer when people have questions and are in pain, and I think that is the most wonderful, awesome thing ever---what a community this is!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2017 01:06PM by relievedtolearn.

There's a little of everything here.

When I hear the phrase "it is what it is" I usually reply back, saying it backwards like a question...."is it? what is it?"

What is wonderful about RFM is it can be that "port in a storm." Very valuable.

But eventually we all have to go back to cruising the sometimes calm, sometimes rough seas. The important thing is to become an experienced sailor because we can never control the ocean we live in, only navigate it with respect, doing our damnedest to be a lee. We try. We do our best to make things better. But in the end, yes, "it is what it is," though, Jonny has a point, "What the hell is it?"