Survival of the Fittest

Before our “blog conversation” with the family down in Zion, I knew “Survival of the Fittest” was a fit for my up and coming perspective on life. Like David, I think I’ve always been able to overcome challenges, meet expectations and generally carry on in a somewhat acceptable manner – until the past few years. I’ve learned that trials are trials because they don’t have completion dates; you might make it through and then you might not, but definitely your own resources are not adequate. Survival asks us to attune to our world, to take nothing for granted, to be vigilant and wary. I have several quotes that define my efforts to be a more humane human. “I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures, those who make it or those who don’t. I divide the world into learners and nonlearners. There are people who learn, who are open to what happens around them, who listen, who hear the lessons. When they do something stupid, they don’t do it again. And when they do something that works a little bit, they do it even better and harder the next time. The question to ask is not whether you are a success or a failure, but whether you are a learner or a nonlearner – Carole Hyatt and Linda Gottlieb.” I’ve seen so many characteristics in family members these past weeks that I want to more fully develop. Words so many times mask our inner insecurities. It’s easy to talk, but harder to walk the talk. I want to more than survive I want to thrive, but first things first. I’ll always remember My Grandpa Porter’s lament near the end of his life; “Paul, why didn’t I ever do anything great?” His expectations for himself stretched beyond what his daily allotment of time could reach. I guess I’m a little like that.