Luck

I have been giving the words luck and lucky alot of thought. I am one of those cliche people who has quoted (more times than I prefer to admit) the old saying that 'luck happens to those who work the hardest'. There are many times when that statement is true, for example, if you are prudent with your money, invest wisely, you will probably have more than your neighbor who didn't, or if you put 100% effort into a job hunt you are more likely to land one then that neighbor. If you don't drink, smoke, eat sushi and change the kitty litter you are more likely to have a healthy baby than the neighbor who didn't. Sometimes, however, it doesn't matter what you do--sometimes you are just plan unlucky.

I have noticed that some people are just unluckier than others. There are people who tragedy just seems to follow. The other day a neighbor of mine (not the one who doesn't invest, job hunt or take care prenatally) mentioned that a man had tripped and fallen in the neighborhood and he had helped him. The man was fulfilling his new years resolution of taking a walk, even though in the past year he had suffered a stroke and then been hit by a truck while crossing in a cross walk (see what I mean about unlucky). I also remember recently have dinner with a friend of Ron's aunt and her daughter and their life story was of death, loss, cancer, fraud, illness (both physical and mental) and financial ruin. The flip side of it was that there was a callous disregard for healthful choices (including consumption of bad-for-you food and alcohol as well as very apparent lack of care for physical fitness. I wondered then if maybe the unbelievable bad luck also had to do with some bad choices along the way.

I also wonder if luck and being lucky is, at times, a state of mind. If I wanted to list out some of the less than stellar moments in my life, I could do that in such an exhaustive way as to sound profoundly unlucky...or, I (and I choose to do this daily) can focus on all of the good things that have happened, are happening and could happen.

All I know is, I have no doubt how lucky I am.