I grew up in a world of ink, typewriters, and carbon paper. I didn’t realize I was from the dark ages until one of my interns asked me “what is carbon paper?” Carbon paper is what you didn’t want to be using if you made a mistake! It was messy, smeared all over one’s hands and was impossible to neatly erase. It was used whenever one needed a copy. It was the forerunner of carbonless copies and thermal paper. It served its purpose, but I am so happy it is not in my office!
Today I went to use an eraser; it is my friend. I love erasers, because it frees one to make an error and remove it. Yet I remember in school, when we were told we needed to do everything in ink. Although using a pen elevated us to a more adult level, I think that is when I feared putting anything onto paper. It created an unspoken anxiety about writing anything down. Even though making mistakes is part of the growth process, but no one told me that.
Then I entered the world of typing. One of my first jobs was working in a law office where we needed copies for just about everything. We didn’t have correction ribbon at the time, nor the white out we all can use these days. There were no self correcting ribbons! I learned to focus on what I was doing so I didn’t have to retype letters or documents.
When I taught, the ditto masters that were used had purple dye for creating a master copy. Mistakes were removed by scratching off the purple letters with a razor blade. What a hassle! Plus the smell and purple finger tips did not lend to looking professional.
Now we live in the world of computers! Computers are wonderful. We can write a whole paragraph or create a design and voila, simple hit the delete key if anything was put down in error. Remarkable, neat, and simple.
But what about our lives? When we make a mistake, what happens? It isn’t easy to hit delete and start over. There are consequences of marrying too young. Pain in one’s body due to a bad car accident in our early driving times may plague us forever. Falling into a bankrupt state due to using credit cards may keep us from the dreams of owning property. Job losses may result in marital breakups. Raising children all with different IQ’s, emotional states, and behavioral issues can be difficult. Help!
Holding hands and walking with people through difficult times is my job. We all need support especially during transitional times. Times of failing health, broken marriages, and grieving for loved ones may come when we least expect them. There are moments of confusion and tension that seem to overwhelm us.
We need to learn to share our thoughts and feelings and also express them. For many people, being strong equals being silent and swallowing the pain. It doesn’t work well and eventually comes out in our behaviors. Counseling is a privilege. It was once only for the rich and famous, but now is available for everyone. It is good for resolving issues.
Hopefully your day is a good one today. Whether it is erasing a difficult time of transitioning into a better time, “Delight in Living” along with me.