Alligators

 

Where some of us live in the tropics, alligators are plentiful. I of course avoid them but there are those who feel that if you don’t bother the alligator, the alligator won’t bother you. The problem is we don’t really know what all the things are that bother the alligator. Life and limbs have been lost by the foolhardy and the unsuspecting who have made a mistake. There are even those so foolish who feed alligators like they were some kind of harmless duck floating on the water. These feeble minded ones never know when they will be the next item on the menu. Similarly, those who have the propensity to court danger by other unwise activities never know when these ‘activities’ will turn around and bite them.

Stalemate

 

It is said that the wise man knows a stalemate when he sees one. Acknowledging thus, he walks away from the un-winnable fight that saps both time and energy. He lives to fight another day. He considers the options, weighs the risks, and then makes his move, or no move at all perhaps. Although the thought of a stalemate may not be cogent, by knowing these things, he sets himself up for the win at a later time when conditions are more favorable, and with as least a cost as possible to himself. Leave the tilting at windmills for Don Quixote and all the dreamers who cannot see that their dream is not possible.

The Key

 

The man with the key is never locked out, or locked in. He keeps all his options open; everything is on the table. When the music stops, he always finds a seat. Not only does he have a plan b, he has a plan c, and a plan d. He prepares himself for any event without weighing himself down needlessly. By keeping hold of the key, he keeps hold of the situation and does not let the situation get a hold on him.