There are times when we all feel like King of the Meadow. Raise your arms, walk into grasses, pretend like you can control all of the grasshoppers arcing and flinging themselves away and into you. It's an illusion we all like to cling to--that we can control our meadows.
I have a person in my life who struggles with an addiction to prescription medications. (No, I am NOT talking about myself in code. Don't jump to that conclusion.) Sometimes, this person can control it. Sometimes, it controls him. This week, addiction was in the driver's seat. When I saw him, he could barely walk up a set of stairs and couldn't recall what day of the month it was. It was sad and frustrating at the same time.
Now, he may be in trouble at work. Got caught dozing off on the job. On Monday, he has a meeting with his supervisor, and he is fully expecting to be fired. He's praying that he doesn't, but he told me yesterday that "I have a bad feeling."
His life is spinning out of control right now, and he refuses to admit that he has a problem. I told him that, if everything turns out alright on Monday, he needs to walk the straight and narrow. I looked at him and said, "You know what I mean." He nodded. He knew what I meant.
I don't know what's going to happen to him on Monday, although I haven't told him that. The last piece of wisdom I shared with him: "You have no control over what your supervisor is going to do. All you have is control over what you do and how you respond."
None of us are King of the Meadow. There's only one King of the Meadow, dilly-dilly, and we need just trust in the King (or Queen, if you prefer).
Today, Saint Marty gives thanks for his meadow, that it's not full of locusts or addiction or Republicans.
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