I was struck by the mental image of restored, newly painted parts on an otherwise rusted poorly-conditioned vehicle, and immediately thought of human relationships. Maybe your humanities background will help you relate to my reaction that in attempting to repair- improve - seek forgiveness - show kindness - it is like adding a shiny piece to the old, rusting relationship. The key then is the choice both individuals make. You cannot forget the old sputtering, failing history of that relationship, that seems to break down with distressing regularity, but one can choose to focus on the new shiny piece and perhaps hope for more repairs in the future. Like your friends, some might ignore a relationship until it is broken, others might attempt a full overhaul (or replacement!) at the first sign of decay.
Sorry to drone on- you probably did not envision the backhoe as an analogy for human relationships - but that is where it took me. Thank you for the idea!
I think that is an interesting analogy and one that had not occurred to me! Perhaps we can rebuild relationships in the way you suggest - over time and with small positive steps. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I was struck by the mental image of restored, newly painted parts on an otherwise rusted poorly-conditioned vehicle, and immediately thought of human relationships. Maybe your humanities background will help you relate to my reaction that in attempting to repair- improve - seek forgiveness - show kindness - it is like adding a shiny piece to the old, rusting relationship. The key then is the choice both individuals make. You cannot forget the old sputtering, failing history of that relationship, that seems to break down with distressing regularity, but one can choose to focus on the new shiny piece and perhaps hope for more repairs in the future. Like your friends, some might ignore a relationship until it is broken, others might attempt a full overhaul (or replacement!) at the first sign of decay.
Sorry to drone on- you probably did not envision the backhoe as an analogy for human relationships - but that is where it took me. Thank you for the idea!
I think that is an interesting analogy and one that had not occurred to me! Perhaps we can rebuild relationships in the way you suggest - over time and with small positive steps. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I like what you said about learning and discovering during a project, that it's not always just about the finished product at the end.
Thanks Kelly!