When that little jealousy bug comes out, swat it
By GEORGI DAVIS
Published April 23, 2006
In my opinion, jealousy is not a good thing, but we are all guilty.
Take, for instance, when my husband and I play golf. He's 6 foot 1 and I'm only 5 foot 3. (From my vantage point, he appears tall.) In my opinion, that gives him an advantage when he strikes the ball. He can hit it more than 200 yards. I take out my driver when he hits his 8 iron. I can't even come close to 200 yards.
I'm jealous of that. But I also know that physically, it is almost impossible for me to hit that ball as far as he does. He's been playing the game for 40 years (hard to believe). I've only been at it for eight years. But, I'm still jealous of his ability.
Jealousy comes in all forms. When we were first dating, I was jealous of every woman who looked at him. It was an insecurity thing. I feel very secure in our relationship now and don't worry about such trivial matters. After all, he comes home every night after work!
I remember when I was in high school there was a girl I didn't like very much. All the boys were google-eyed over her. I never could understand that, since she had bowed legs. I couldn't believe that those boys couldn't see that.
But she had something I didn't have. She got to be a cheerleader; I didn't make the squad. She was also very outgoing, while I was shy and introverted.
I have since discovered that I didn't like her because I was jealous of all the attention she got from the opposite sex and her ability to get out in front of crowds and cheer. It was my own shortcomings, again, that made me jealous.
When we first moved to Florida I was excited to go to the pool on a daily basis. It was fun sitting in the sun, soaking up rays and enjoying small talk. One day a woman said to me, "We don't want you here. You are too thin!"
I took it with a sense of humor, but knew that was that little jealousy bug coming out again.
I always wanted to be tall. I thought women who were tall wore clothes better than short people. Since then I have discovered that tall women, for the most part, would love to be petite.
Amazing how the grass appears to be greener when it's not in our own yard.
I have grown since my jealous stage. I don't envy people for what they can do or what they look like or what they have. I have discovered I have attributes that others don't. They will always have attributes that I don't have. I thank God for the talents I do have, but, as I used to tell my students at school, no matter how good you are at something, there will always be others better at it than you.
We may think that we are the best at what we do, but someone will come along and be better. That's just a fact of life.
I appreciate people who can build bridges, figure out how to fix a computer, build a house, fly an airplane, build an airplane or climb a mountain. I even appreciate those who can ride all those scary rides at amusement parks. I am no longer jealous of these people. I admire them for it. After all, God didn't say I had to be able to do everything.
Some people may think these articles are pretty silly. Some of them are. Some are good; some are mediocre. And some rise above the rest. If you like to read them, I appreciate that. If you don't, you don't have to read them. I don't like mushrooms, so I don't eat them.
The bottom line is, when we are secure in ourselves, we become less critical of others. Those who put others down are usually only showing their own insecurities. To criticize others for talents we don't have is belittling only ourselves.
I have a good friend who loves to cook. She cooks well. The kitchen has never been one of my strong suits. But she can't sing or paint, so who really cares? I'll paint and sing; she can do the cooking.
As for my husband, he isn't so good at around-the-house projects, but I'm not as good at doing crossword puzzles. He stays out of my garden, and I stay out of his newspaper. It all works fine. I'm sure there are other husbands out there who like to dig in the dirt.
I appreciate mine for other talents, including letting me write about him in the newspaper. He has a great sense of humor and doesn't mind at all when I take jabs at him. That's one of the things I like about him.
I sometimes wish I could stop my brain from working. It seems to go all the time.
I wake up in the middle of the night with stories running through my head. Now that is sometimes hard to swallow. I envy those who are not cursed with a brain like that.
Peace of mind does not always come easy.
It has been nice getting to the place where I don't have to prove anything to anyone.
If you have noticed, you know much about me from these articles. I once had a friend who told me I make everyone look normal. I call that a compliment. Others may take it as a put-down.
I like being who I am and am thankful for the talents I have.
Don't ever ask me to take a pill! I have a difficult time swallowing them, but I can take criticism. That's a pill I don't find hard to swallow!
Thought for the day: Why don't airplane makers make wings on the planes that bend like birds' wings do?