I’ve lived with the red mulch Earl wanted to use around our trees and shrubs for almost seventy-two hours; and I must admit it’s not as bad as it was during Hour One. Whether I really like it or am just growing accustomed to it as a defense mechanism doesn’t really matter. The truth is you can adjust to anything if you give up the notion of control.
Maybe there’s a lesson to learn here; and it is that one might not want to become too attached to the outcome of unimportant things if one wants to have a relatively satisfactory life. In the grand scheme, whether we have red mulch or dark brown mulch isn’t going to change our financial assets or our health or our income tax bracket.
It isn’t going to impact on whether we stay together either. Rather, red mulch is becoming a reminder of what is important and what isn’t. And what’s important is that you agree with your mate on the essentials. For instance, honesty, fiscal responsibility, punctuality or the lack of, what to spend your expendable income on, and how to distribute your assets after you’re gone. This isn’t the entire list, but it’s a good start.
You’ll notice I didn’t mention politics or religion or President Bush. While many people might think these things fall in the “What’s Important” column, I disagree. Regardless of our differing views on these things, when we cut off the labels and talk about ideas, Earl and I are on the same page. It’s the tags, like liberal and conservative, that fuel debate. But when we phrase the question in terms of core beliefs, such as “Everybody should exercise the right to vote,” we stand together. It looks as if we might end up shoulder to shoulder regarding red mulch too.
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