The Cracked Brigade

29 Replies

“As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that perfection is a frame of mind and my frame is cracked.”

I wrote that as one of my daily quips last week, and I was quite surprised at the response. People coming forward and saying that they too were cracked. And I mean cracked in the best of ways.

An actor I greatly admire recently came forward and stated that he didn’t feel he was worthy. He didn’t think he was good looking enough or smart enough or talented enough and that he was just lucky. I beg to differ. And hundreds of thousands of people around the world agree with me. He has insecurities just like us and I think he’s brave to come forward and admit that. What we see is a chameleon, a true actor, but what he feels behind closed doors is human. I think that is often difficult for men to admit to and perhaps women as well. I have spoken to people who have actually talked to him and they’re always surprised when they find that he is as nice as he appears to be.

As one of my readers stated that: “we are all cracked”. We all have flaws that we think are negatives and yet they are not. They are part of who we are, plain and simple.

There’s a lovely old story that I remember about a farmer who used to pick up water from the well and bring it up to the house. Each day he took two clay jugs, filled them to the brim and walked a meandering path back to the house. One day one of the pots apologized to the farmer for not doing his job. (OK, OK, this is a story, it’s not real life.  It’s meant to illustrate a point.) The pot said that because he had a crack he never arrived back at the house as a full jug. Too much of the water had leaked out, and he believe he was a failure because of it. The farmer smiled and said: “Take a look at the path we take. I knew you had a crack and so I planted seeds along the path. I always make sure that you were leaking on that side. Look at the flowers that have blossomed. You have been watering those seeds and now look . . . The world is a prettier place, because of what you contributed through your crack.”

Those cracks are chinks in our armor that allow us to share the essence of who we are. That is a pretty special gift and one that I cherish.

 

29 thoughts on “The Cracked Brigade”

  4. Murphy’s Law

    I love the story of the farmer and his water jugs. Sums it up perfectly.

    Cracks, chinks, flaws, wrinkles are all proof of a life lived, and hopefully well lived. They are our beauty marks for all to see.

    My frame is certainly cracked and bent and a bit lopsided! But it’s the story of my life and I wear it proudly. We all should.
    Ginger

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  5. dweezer19

    This is a beautiful tale, Pam. I believe I read it long ago. It is simplistically accurate. I am notorious for keeping everything, broken or old. All things serve a purpose for those who have imagination and faith. Right now I have a ceramic Starbucks pourover coffee filter that we could toss out. I think I’m going to make a planter out of it for a new succulent. 🙂❤️

    Liked by 1 person

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