Cocoons Aren't All Bad

It’s been another couple of weeks since I last reached out to the outlying world. So much has happened in my little world in that amount of time, yet at the same time, so little has happened. I don’t mean to become overly philosophical on you, and don’t honestly think I’m capable of doing so. It is difficult to describe, but I trust you know just what I’m saying. It’s easy to lose track of perspective, or rather, to perhaps gain a new perspective on what’s important in life when confined to the boundaries of an 18 square mile barren desert land. In some form or fashion each of us confines ourselves to a limited portion of the world in which we can become lost in the minute details, and that’s the source of the altered perspective. Isn’t that one of the great purposes of the scriptures; to broaden our perspective, open our view, almost to give us Deity’s vantage point of earthly humanity, that thereby we become able to see the forest in spite of the trees? I like to think so.

I’ve also noted throughout my short life that a limited perspective tends to add drama to one’s life. And when I say “drama” I don’t mean song and dance, I mean “commotion.” The proverbial rocking of the boat; that kind that really troubles you. I recall several years ago Carrie and I were getting ready for a Halloween party. Of course, we’re going as a couple to a couples-only party where everyone is mostly likely going to be dressed in some kind of couples theme, like NaCl (table salt) & a Duracell (Assault & Battery) for example. We had decided, in an effort to be something unique but feasible, to be a cocoon and butterfly. You can only guess who was which; it doesn’t make much sense to dress a “caterpillar” like a butterfly when you’ve already got a “butterfly.” So we wrapped me up in the cocoon. However, I had convinced myself that all the other party goers were going to have these fantastic costumes, Hollywood standard. Meanwhile, I looked ridiculous in my white sheet, white painted face and tennis shoes. I recall being so upset about it, stressing out, and leaving home in the worst mood. I’m sure I spoiled it for Carrie—who makes a lovely butterfly by the way. I was the world’s worst date that night, and it was all so silly. And for what? I laugh now looking back because those Hollywood costumes never showed up and I fit right in. Although, it didn’t help that on the way over I ended up spilling some of the chili we were taking onto my cocoon—most people there couldn’t decide if I was a mummy or a wad of used toilet paper!

My point is that in the end of it all that little moment in my life was spoiled by my self-inflicted grief borne of a limited view of what was happening around me; a petite perspective. It’s so easy to get caught up in it. I think we all do it to some degree and I’ve discovered that when Colonels and Generals do it on a Marine Corps base it adds a lot of drama to one’s life. Especially when that one is the facilities engineer and that one facility is that one General’s! “Yes, Sir” “Will do, Sir.” “I’m sorry, Sir.” “Of course, Sir.” “There’s nothing I’d rather do with my time, Sir.” In the end it’s nothing more than HVAC and windows.

In the edifice of life windows and HVAC can be important, but never worth sacrificing the foundation…