The problem of pain
has multiple answers.
Many of the answers
are not reconcilable.
None of the answers
work for everyone.
Q: Why do bad things happen to good people?
A: God will work everything out for good.
A: Humans have free will.
A: This is what Destiny has decreed.
A: You were caught up in a cosmic battle between good and evil.
A: You are working out your karma from a past life.
A: This is the life curriculum your soul chose before your were born.
A: You are too small to understand.
A: Random shit happens.
You can reconcile some answers with parts of others, but there’s no meta-answer that incorporates all of these plus the others I didn’t list.
You start with your family’s answer to the pain problem.
As a teenager you test it. If you satisfied that it holds up,
you make it your own. If you feel it breaks down,
you look for an answer that works (for you).
Either way, you probably get obnoxious for a while
because you, young spotty-faced human, have solved
the problem of pain.
Then you experience real trauma and you discover your answer
to the problem of pain works, though it doesn’t end the pain
and there’s more subtlety involved that you imagined.
Or it doesn’t. It crumbles under the weight of tragedy,
and you look for an answer that does work (for you).
Either way, you probably get angry for a while.
The people with quick answers don’t actually know
the problem of pain.
If your current answer to the problem of pain
doesn’t work anymore, the problem isn’t you.
Though some people in charge will say it is,
they are afraid of losing power or control or
their own answer to the problem of pain.
Leave them to their fear. Go find
what you need.
This is my kind of country music.
When someone you love is living through trauma and pain,
they don’t need your answer. They need your presence.
Grow slowly
Jeff
Succinct. True. Insightful. Thank you!
This is brilliant and so true! Thank you Jeff!