Thread by @shadowfax_82

1. Do you mind if I share a little Monday morning story to ponder?

What the heck, right. Why not. Maybe someone needs this today. Maybe I do.

So, anyway, enough with the chit-chat and on to the story. Don't worry, it's short. Here we go:

2. "Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer, whose horse ran away. And all the neighbors came around to commensurate that evening, “So sorry to hear your horse has ran away. That’s too bad.” And he said, “Maybe.'"

3. "The next day the horse came back, bringing seven wild horses with it, and everybody came around in the evening and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You’ve now got eight horses.” And he said, “Maybe.'"

4. "The next day his son tried to break one of these horses and ride it and was thrown and broke his leg. And they all said, “Oh, dear that’s too bad.” And he said, “Maybe.'"

5. "The following day the conscription officers came around to recruit to force people into the army and they rejected his son, because he had a broken leg. And all the people came around and said, “Isn’t that great.” And he said, “Maybe.”

6. What is the moral of the story?

I have had some great misfortune in my life, and sometimes it helps to imagine that there is a greater, as of yet unseen, purpose, which someday I hope will be revealed.

What do you think it means, if anything.

One possibility might be:

7. The process of nature is integrated & of immense complexity, & it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens is good or bad, because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune. Or you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.

Mr. @dolphinfish55, I would like to have a wise man's thoughts, such as yourself.