Garden of Good

I am a firm believer in the good rather than the great. Let me elaborate.

Great is a wonderful goal, but more often than not we fall short of greatness. What fills the gap? Feelings of inadequacy, failure, self-recrimination. The Spurs probably feel like losers today. No, no, no. The good should fill the gap. Still aim for greatness and give it what you got, but be willing to embrace the results regardless. As long as you put in the effort. Dogging it in life is never acceptable. 

For the last 6 years, I had a large garden and even larger battles with a groundhog family under my shed who dug under my fence or climbed it like a jungle gym. I finally called a truce on the war and began to grow the crops necessary for salsa--which the g-hogs had not a taste for. Tomatoes, red pepper, jalapenos, parsley, and basil. I buy the onions. I like cilantro better than basil but it goes to seed and is too high maintenance.

After moving, I debated whether I was going to grow a garden this year. A big part of me wanted to rest from my labors, the weeding, the work. But I like fresh salsa, so I compromised. Three flower boxes and that is it. Good, not great.

Another example, since I now live in a lower socio-economic area than previously, I no longer worry about my yard. When I lived in upper-middle class suburbia, the grass become a reflection of my worth as a human being. And, God humbled me by causing my grass to die, over and over again. The last blow was some bum of a landscaper, when I just decided to start paying someone, who killed large swaths of the grass and had the audacity to say that I killed it by using pesticide (which I did not).  I am truly relishing the escape from upper-suburbia hell and now just mowing my small plot of ground weekly places me in the good graces of my neighbors.

Finally, a few more instances of good and not great. I have decided to live below my means and live debt-free. My townhouse is fine, but hardly fancy. I like my neighbors and am only 23 minutes from work. I have toyed with moving down to Lancaster City which would basically mean I would pay about $50 to $75 k for the same sized property in the city that I now have. The most comparable property I have found is actually is nearly $100,000 more. Add to that an additional 15 minutes each way on my commute and the city's much higher taxes, I have decided to stay put. I would like to be an urban hipster but why bother. My present property is also in a much sounder school district and the 'hood is not violent like Lancaster is becoming. I can easily head down to Lancaster when I want...    

I also have downgraded the beer and coffee that I drink, and just smoke cheap cigars. I find having less than the best actually cuts down on consumption. Great is just too tempting. Good winds up being good enough.

God is the God of great, but also the good. And we should be thankful for it.