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| LUCK when Preparation meets Opportunity |
when dealing with uncertainty
times of uncertainty
moments of uncertainty
events of uncertainty
my coping methods have evolved
over a literal lifetime of uncertainty
you have also lived a lifetime of uncertainty
i am not-special
in this way
we are the same
in this way
thus
coping with uncertainty
is really the only way to "deal with it"
there is no
uncertainty going away
there is no
uncertainty disappearing
there is no
amount of money
that can rid your life
of uncertainty
the only tool we have
is mitigation
coping
methods
how do we cope with the uncertainty of life
&the uncertainties of living
sure
there are times when life is more or less uncertain
&these days
certainty is being outweighed by uncertainty
certainly
&so
mitigation
coping
how do we "deal with"
uncertainty?
for me
as an active pursuer of change
my most-prominent coping methods for uncertainty
are photography
writing
crafting
manicures
&cooking
i have to be in an extremely stable-feeling situation
for visual art-making
[photography &writing excepted]
but it is only because i have held onto these above things so tightly
during times of uncertainty
that these things have become
certain things
upon which i can rely
for example
when i'm going through bouts of uncertainty
i want to reach for something certain
&there is a growing list of things that i can do
with great certainty
like
taking pictures
aka playing with my camera
writing fiction
aka playing with my characters
crocheting or cross-stitching
aka playing with thread
giving myself a manicure
aka a little priceless self-care
&or cooking
aka playing with food
the above examples of skills i utilize to create certainty in my life
when i'm feeling especially uncertain
have become methods of certainty
over time
these are skills that i've learned and practiced for most of my life
i can count on these skills
to create something
for which i am certain
will come to fruition
&c.
these days
literally
days filled with moment-by-moment uncertainty
&generally speaking
i always have my fridge stocked with ingredients to make either
김치찌개
or 된장찌개
these are two korean foods that i can cook with great certainty
when i accomplish cooking this meal for myself and the bodybuddy/lifemate
it's a victory
a Win
since i've had a camera in my hand for as long as i can remember
thanks to my adopted-father's own love of photography
i also know that i can snap a pretty righteous pic
with absolute certainty
at any place
at any time
another easy Win
since i've been actively calling myself a writer since early 2008
i can also sit down and jot a little work of fiction
with absolute certainty
&Win yet again
my adopted-father's step-mother
when i was about eight years old
&so
when i'm feeling especially energetic
i can turn to these activities
to score another Win
with great certainty
&for a final example
i learned quite a ways back
while shopping at walmart
when i noticed that all of the manicure supplies i see the manicure ladies use
are for sale to the general public
that one could simply
give one's self a manicure
&since it's been about ten years
that i've been doing my own nails
i can now give myself manicures
most certainly
&for free
minus the cost of whatever new nail polish/sticker product i'm into these days
&the cost of cuticle cream (surprisingly expensive)
&nail files (dirt cheap)
especially in times of economic uncertainty
when every penny is being scrutinized
(we scrutinize every penny all the time)
having free or cheap methods of creating certainty surely doesn't hurt
of course
most of these methods do require money
but very little of it
&there are very few recurring expenses
&of the recurring expenses
they are cheap
&so
i originally posted this post with just the photograph
in a defiant petulance that i had nothing to say!
but then i added all this shit
after publishing
cause i feel like
during this time of extreme uncertainty
i know how to cope
&so
my hope
is that you know how
to cope
&if you don't know how to cope
i've outlined how i do it
&if you feel like it's too late to create these methods
that everything you do creates uncertainty
then there's no better time to start creating
methods of certainty
if for no other reason
than your own sanity
may your preparedness
be greeted by opportunity
stay safe out there