Addendum to what happened at Tournai...

This period is when I first experienced the awesome magnificence of the Subconscious Mind at a time when I had not yet studied Psychology. Yet, I was “sent by G-d” or Nature the equivalent of a mental “safe zone”, which I, later, called “My Peaceful Retreat”…

During the bombings and the refugee “great escape” episode which took us through Belgium, then France, I was quite panicked by the constant, scary popping echoes of rifle and machinegun fire, plus anti-aircraft cannons shooting up loud, explosive shells, whose air displacement made ominous “WHOOOF” sounds and exploding bombs and artillery fire demolishing everything around us…

I could go on painting more grim images still in my memory but will stop instead and simply say that I am glad to have had this momentary catharsis (jokingly described in Psychology as “diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain”...which could qualify me for being labeled a “crack(ed) pot”..or “psycho-ceramic”…:o)

I couldn’t think of a better time to “slip in” this story!...

THE CRACKED POT

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For some two years, this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream: "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"…"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that, when used to our advantage, make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

So, to all of my crackpot friends: have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path! Share this with any or all of your cracked Pot friends!!... and don't forget this cracked pot who told it to you!!! (also called “psycho-ceramic”, remember? :o)
(To be continued…)