verb: to move in a circle around a fixed point or line, or to make something move in this way; to change the direction in which you are facing or moving, or to make someone or something do this; to become, change into, or come to be something, or to make this happen; noun: an opportunity or a duty to do something at a particular time or in a particular order; an action that causes something to move in a circle round a fixed point; a change in the direction in which you are moving or facing
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It’s now time for “turn” to take its turn to inspire a post, and I’m sure it’ll be a page-turner! Actually, page-turners can be a bit of a nightmare – I always seem to find myself riddled with paper cuts after reading one, and the book never escapes without a creased spine, however careful I am…
I know I only have myself to blame for these misadventures. After all, a book is an inanimate object, however powerful or moving or remarkable it may be. But why not turn the assumption that it’s my fault on its head?
It’s the book’s fault the spine creased. I do take proper care of it, but the writing’s too close to the centre for me to read without opening it that wide. I couldn’t help it. It’s not my fault, it’s the book’s fault. And it attacked me! Look at all these paper cuts! Can’t they make books using something safer than paper? They must be able to. We should lobby parliament – get the law changed – or at least sue the manufacturers and sellers for not having clear warnings. I can’t be expected to know you can get paper cuts from paper, can I?
How easy it is to blame something completely innocent for my shortcomings. I think I’ve turned a corner when it comes to understanding how people lie to themselves, though the “why” remains elusive… Still, I’m sure it’ll take its turn to come to me.
Turning back to our original subject, does one good turn really deserve another? I’ve no objection to more good turns being done, but I do have reservations about the same principle being applied in other scenarios…
I know a great many people are perfectly happy with the notion of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or a life for a life, and I get it. It seems instinctively fair. The trouble is, it never ends. Obviously for good deeds – or good turns – never-ending is fine. Better than fine, actually. But never-ending vengeance? Just because it seems fair doesn’t make it a good idea. Taken to the nth degree, a life for a life would eradicate the human race, barring the last survivor, of course. But then, they couldn’t procreate on their own, so it’s still extinction for us. Good for a lot of species, and arguably planet Earth at large, but not for you or I. At some point, someone has to say “enough’s enough” and make a u-turn, however damaging it may be to their pride.
Isn’t it strange how people are ridiculed for changing their mind, rather than praised for having the courage to admit it when they find they were mistaken, or downright wrong, or there’s simply a better way of doing things? Then again, if someone keeps changing their tune at the drop of a hat they become unreliable at best, untrustworthy at worst. I guess it’s another one of those “balance is best” situations, then…
Now, dear reader, it’s time to wrap this post up in a warm blanket before it takes a turn for the worse and we all start thinking too much!
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