Scarlet O'Hara's main problem was that she always thought the grass was greener somewhere else. Her "ideal" was always better in her mind than what she had right in front of her. The life she imagined was always what she thought she wanted only to find out in the end that the life she truly wanted was hers all along she was just too blind to see it. How like most of our lives that story is!
Most of us go through life always wanting something else rather than what we have. Constantly finding fault with our situation, our lot in life. Always thinking that if we just had more money, if we were prettier or more handsome, if we had bigger boobs or less fat, if we had this or that person in our lives or out of it, a bigger house, a nicer car, a different town. Always the greener grass beckoning in every corner of our minds. Never satisfied with where we are or with what we have or who we are with.
Even if we have a house to live in, car to drive, job to go to, healthy children, a partner who loves us....always we are seeking that something we think we are missing. As if that one thing or things will make us complete. That whatever it is is the thing we need, the thing we truly want. There are even those of us who believe that we are truly unhappy without whatever it is. In reality, we are unhappy because we choose to be unhappy with what we have.
It has been my experience that the grass is never greener in any situation. It may look greener and shinier and prettier and better....but guess what it's still just the same grass you're standing on right now and guess what else, it comes with all kinds of other things that may not reside in your current patch of grass. What if your supposed better job comes with a crappy boss. What if your supposed better house comes with taxes you find hard to pay. What if your supposed better partner comes with all kinds of unseen baggage. Nothing is ever what your mind makes it out to be. The truth is always much different in the light of day outside of the "imagined" greenery.
At this time of Thanksgiving, perhaps we should reflect more on the grass on which we stand. Perhaps we should look for what is good and green on our own grass patch before we try and find this imaginary greener grass.
