And So It Goes Janet Givens’ Blog More on the Blog's name

And so it goes -- sometimes So it goes -- the lament that permeates Kurt Vonnegut’s classic Slaughterhouse-Five, addresses the notion that certain events are beyond our control. It honors fatalism, resignation, and the inevitability of death (among other things), and the consequent acceptance of our fate.


Just as Vonnegut tried to educate his readers to a greater understanding of the human condition, And So It Goes, the blog, tries to educate readers to a greater understand of the culture that, inevitably and unconsciously, molds us.


We do that by looking at cultures that are different than our own. And we pay special attention to the parts of those cultures that trouble us, that make us gasp, that make us turn away.


Here on my blog, we take the time to take a closer look, to chew on what we’ve been swallowing whole. Adopting the existential notion that we create our own reality, we understand that that reality is also molded by our environment and perpetuated by our culture.


And so it goes.

Life Lesson #1 From Camel’s Hump

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#1     Sometimes, we have to forge our own path.

Not exactly forging my own path, but knowing I can.
Not exactly forging my own path, but knowing I can.

Remember Gillian?  We met her back at Lesson #10, Sometimes, when you try to follow the blazes, it ends in disaster.

 

Sometimes, we have to break the “rules,” follow our own path (and stay up off our butts). Sometimes, that’s how we survive. 

 

Sometimes, we have to forge our own path.

David captures me near the top, with a smile on my face.

How about you? Which of the many lessons in this series resonated most with you? 

 

If you missed the earlier posts, here are the links:

#13    When the going gets tough, each step is of equal importance.

#12    Sometimes, perseverence is more important than having fun.

#11     Sometimes, there is no single, absolutely right place to put your foot.

#10    Sometimes, when we try to follow the signs, it ends in disaster.

#9      Sometimes, the path we need to take doesn’t look like a path at all.

#8      Sometimes, we just have to stop and listen.

#7      Sometimes, we just have to stop and stare at the view.

#6      Sometimes, it’s nice to have a reminder that we’re going in the right direction.

#5      Sometimes, it doesn’t matter which way we go.

#4      Sometimes, when we feel alone, it’s good to remember that others have gone before.

#3      Seen in the distance, problems sometimes appear larger and more ominous. But as we move closer, the solution appears.

#2      Sometimes, we need to follow the rules.

 

 

Thank you for staying with me through my summer series.  Being able to tackle so many posts early in the summer offered me a great opportunity to sit back a bit, focus on getting my Deleted Scenes ebook ready to launch, dig in the soil more than usual, and read. I had a great summer; I hope you did too.

Next week I’ll be starting a series on Friendship, one of the themes in my memoir, At Home on the Kazakh Steppe. I look forward, over the next few weeks, to hearing your stories of friendship in your life. See you then.

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5 thoughts on “Life Lesson #1 From Camel’s Hump”

  1. Merril SmithMerril Smith

    Great series, Janet! I admire your planning. My posts are nearly always written right before I post them. 🙂

    I love the photo of you with your big–triumphant?–smile.

    Ultimately, I suppose we all forge our own paths.

    Reply
    September 30, 2015
    • Janet GivensJanet Givens

      Thanks, Merril. It’s been good having you along on the hike. 🙂

      Reply
      September 30, 2015
  2. Marian BeamanMarian Beaman

    Your post today is short, sweet and power-packed, just my style. My grandson misplaced his foot hiking Red Canyon National Park in Nevada this summer, an adventure that involved a visit to the emergency room. You’d better believe he learned a life lesson about foot placement and hiking safety.

    Reply
    September 30, 2015
    • Janet GivensJanet Givens

      Ah yes, the old “each step is of equal importance” lesson. A good one to keep in mind at such times.

      Thanks for joining me on the journey down, Marian.

      Reply
      September 30, 2015
  1. Lessons Learned As I Cross the Sea – Janet Givens

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