Sunday, September 03, 2006

#23 - Fortune Cookie

This week´s Sunday Scribble prompt is Fortune Cookie.
I think a lot of pressure comes with opening a fortune cookie because we are waiting for that AHA moment, some sort of sign to tell us which road will lead us to our happiness. Some of us read the horoscope pages and some of us go out looking for that special book or object which will make it all clear. We all seem to be looking for something - something which is just out of our grasp, always one step ahead of us. There is an Austrian folk song I know and the lyrics go something like this "we are always running after our happiness, trying to catch it but maybe, just maybe, it´s trying to catch us but we´re running too fast".
We are often pushed and moulded by other people´s expectations of us, by money or lack of it, by advertising and trends and pressure from parents, bosses and other people we depend upon. Many days we don´t have the time to think about what we need, it´s just a matter of getting through the day. We forget that we have the right to put ourselves first, to take time for family and love and our bodies and homes. But if we don´t have the time to stop and listen, won´t life just pass us by? Why do we wait until illness or a bad experience clears the fog and makes us realise what´s important to us and what we can do without.
A fortune cookie will not tell us how to be happy, a book or material things may help us on the way but ultimately, I believe we all know what truly makes us happy, we just have to stop long enough to listen to our inner voice, recognise what we TRULY need and be open for it.

5 comments:

Jessie said...

Yes, I like this interpretation of "fortune cookie." Maybe that's part of the pressure that comes along with opening up the cookie. We know what we want...but we hold our breath with hopes that our fortune will spell it out more clearly.

I like this post. Immensely.

GreenishLady said...

That's a very wise post - I love the piece from the folk song. And the fortune-cookie picture is really sweet!

Giggles said...

You so eloquently speak the truth….if only some of my friends would get it!..........I have! .....Great post!

Peace and giggles Sherrie

Jamie said...

Thought-full post, Claudia. I'm fascinated by the image of running too fast for our dreams to catch up. And I think you're so right that inside we know, we really know. I think oftentimes we look for horoscopes or fortune cookies or other people to affirm what we know so we can feel justified in moving forward, when all we really need is to believe in ourselves and take the first step.

Aithbhreac said...

Thanks, I really needed to hear this today!