(picture by Ian)

I have always been a great believer in the principle that when you are grieving over something, it is a very good idea to ‘wallow’ in it for a time.  I have always felt that it is a necessary procedure for future healing.  Get down there, wallow and get it over with!  Recently I came across the following paragraph in a book that takes it further than that.

”THE SMOKE JUMPER”

By   Nicholas Evans

“ He had always believed, after all, that happiness was simply a matter of choice.  You could either wallow in regret, even drown in it, or you could choose not to.

But he had underestimated the power of habit.  Because once you’d started wallowing, pretty soon that’s all you were fit for.  You grew fins and webbed feet so that you could wallow even better.  Hell, maybe you even got to enjoy it a little.  And then when you thought that was enough and it was time to haul yourself out and go walking on dry land again, you found you couldn’t.

  You had evolved into some wretched swamp-dwelling creature that had forgotten how to do it.”

So this wallowing business must be approached with care and should always be considered as temporary measure.

                                                          Carolyn            Feb. 2003

ISBN 0-552-14738-9

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