Things aren't always what they seem...

 
   (Note....I generally like to get ahead a bit in my writing and I wrote this a day or two before the horrific tragedy that took place in Boston on Monday ( 4/15). I had considered setting it aside and writing something about what had happened, how I was feeling,  or some commentary on how the world has changed. But to be honest, I am still struggling to get my head around what took place. And despite the fact that the  suspects were either killed or captured, the result of some great work by law enforcement by the way,  it is still difficult to understand what gets into a person's mind to make the kinds of decisions they made that led to four people being killed and serious  injuries to many others  Perhaps the next few days or months will reveal some insight into the sick and twisted thinking.
   But for this week, I decided to go with my original thoughts.... and maybe there is some relevance too.)
                                                          ****************
    People are generally quite willing to give advice, even when not asked. Giving  advice is easy, it doesn't cost anything but is generally only as reliable as the person giving it. Advice comes in all shapes, sizes and from all direction.
   Over the years, I am sure I have given my share of advice to those who wanted  it and to those who did not. I have also received my share of advise, some I wanted and some I didn't. But there was one piece of advice that continues to serve me well, especially in today's world...”Remember, things (and people) are not always what they seem.”
   If you consider each day dawns as a new adventure, with the possibility of meeting new people, making new friends, or maybe closing a big sale, then it is easy to fall victim to things that may not always be as they appear. What we learn, sometimes too late, is that what we thought was a success turns out to be a failure or the person we though was a new friend with our best interest in mind, was only out for himself or herself.
   We have become a society that makes judgments based upon the outside, not what is 'within'. Flashy cars, well chosen words and neatly tailored suits blind us to a lack of moral character. First impressions can be designed to deceive or  to gain our confidence. As Confucius once said, “I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral character as he is of outward appearances.” Is this the new level to which we have fallen?
   As the old story goes, two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead they were told they could stay in the basement. As the angels made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem".
   The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.
   When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel... "How could you  let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, but you let their cow die."
   "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I told him to take the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."
   The original source of this story is unknown, but its message has been passed down through the ages. Sometimes things don't turn out the way we think they should. But then, “sometimes things are not really as they seem.” Perhaps this is still a good piece of advice after all.