The Author Guy Blog by Larry B. Gildersleeve

 7th June 2024

Hello out there,

Welcome back. The events of the past week put me to thinking about “force of nature” and how `we are almost always helpless if we find ourself in the path of one.

Metaphorically speaking, a one-of-a-kind force of nature in the person of a former president (and his party’s presumptive 2024 presidential candidate) was just found guilty of thirty-four felony counts by a jury in Manhattan. That decision, and the reaction in the coming months by both the individual and his followers, and those aligned against them, most likely will be a force of nature thrust upon our country and the world, and we’re powerless to do anything about it except make our feelings known, one way or the other, at the ballot box on November 5th .

A literal force of nature descended upon my hometown three years ago, and the resulting damage and loss of life was haphazard and indiscriminate. A house destroyed here or there; those surrounding it left untouched. The randomness of it all was stunning, and residents of Kentucky’s third-largest city were helpless in its path.

Such occurrences, whether metaphorical or literal, can disrupt lives and leave lasting impressions in our psyche and in our lives. However, I believe the extent of those impressions, and the impact on each of us, can be reduced depending upon our reactions. And often, it’s not what happens, but how we respond to what happens, that is most significant.

Worth remembering, I believe, is the Serenity Prayer written by Reinhold Niebur in 1943 (during World War II) that was later adapted by the Alcoholics Anonymous organization: God grant me the Serenity to accept things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.

Until next week … Vaya con Dios

Larry B. Gildersleeve