"There is no defense against adverse fortune which is so effectual as an habitual sense of humor."
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
The language is old but the message is timeless! "Woe is me" may be a sympathy getter for a few minutes, but in terms of moving past our woes, a sense of humour and not taking ourselves too seriously is much more practical. I have many examples of this from experience, but couldn't choose between them ... It is hard to look deeply at past struggles and not see them with more context, recognizing that the situation could have been better resolved with less emotion and that the determination to be right creates some mighty big conflicts that obstruct any meaningful resolution (although some would be excellent comedy material).
The language is old but the message is timeless! "Woe is me" may be a sympathy getter for a few minutes, but in terms of moving past our woes, a sense of humour and not taking ourselves too seriously is much more practical. I have many examples of this from experience, but couldn't choose between them ... It is hard to look deeply at past struggles and not see them with more context, recognizing that the situation could have been better resolved with less emotion and that the determination to be right creates some mighty big conflicts that obstruct any meaningful resolution (although some would be excellent comedy material).
Interesting to me is that this quote came from a guy who had a very intense life and career. Unitarian minister, militant abolitionist, soldier. Reading about him on Wikipedia I get no sense he had a shred of humour, but I love to think he did and that was what kept him sane and solid while standing up against the atrocities and inequities of slavery and war.
On a totally different topic, check this out about trees, I'm on day 1 and it is a good refresher, and I'm anticipating learning something new:
Here are a couple excerpts from Wikipedia:
Thomas Wentworth Higginson (December 22, 1823 – May 9, 1911) was an American Unitarian minister, author, abolitionist, and soldier. He was active in the American Abolitionism movement during the 1840s and 1850s, identifying himself with disunion and militant abolitionism. He was a member of the Secret Six who supported John Brown. During the Civil War, he served as colonel of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, the first federally authorized black regiment, from 1862 to 1864.[1] Following the war, Higginson devoted much of the rest of his life to fighting for the rights of freed people, women and other disfranchised peoples.
Civil War years[edit]
During the early part of the Civil War, Higginson was a captain in the 51st Massachusetts Infantry from November 1862 to October 1864, when he was retired because of a wound received in the preceding August. He was colonel of the First South Carolina Volunteers, the first authorized regiment recruited from freedmen for Union military service.[2] Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton required that black regiments be commanded by white officers. "We, their officers, did not go there to teach lessons, but to receive them," Higginson wrote. "There were more than a hundred men in the ranks who had voluntarily met more dangers in their escape from slavery than any of my young captains had incurred in all their lives."[26]
CheersJeanne
During the early part of the Civil War, Higginson was a captain in the 51st Massachusetts Infantry from November 1862 to October 1864, when he was retired because of a wound received in the preceding August. He was colonel of the First South Carolina Volunteers, the first authorized regiment recruited from freedmen for Union military service.[2] Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton required that black regiments be commanded by white officers. "We, their officers, did not go there to teach lessons, but to receive them," Higginson wrote. "There were more than a hundred men in the ranks who had voluntarily met more dangers in their escape from slavery than any of my young captains had incurred in all their lives."[26]
CheersJeanne
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