"To be, or not to be, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them." This is a soliloquy from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It is often quoted and yet rarely understood, or quoted correctly. I think I get it and understand the question. It makes sense and in life it seems to be a common theme.

   Do we live and let live, or do we need to get wound up about everything that happens to us? Do we stand up and fight all that is happening against us and by doing so do we end those problems? When is the right time to push back? Does pushing back bring us any relief? Certainly the answers to these questions depend on the situation, but I think on the macro level there is little we can do. I have certainly suffered greatly from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and have taken arms against a sea of troubles only to find myself tired, bruised and battered from a futile struggle. Sometimes those slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are just that, outrageous. We can no more stop them than we can delay the rising tide. 

   Sometimes I believe that discretion is the better part of valor. Rather than stand alone in the face of a storm of poor fortune it may be better to batten the hatches and wait it out. Sometimes there is nothing we can do about a raging sea of troubles other than to lash ourselves to a sturdy mast and hope for the best. Sooner or later the storm will subside and we can take stock of the damage and repair the ship. I think that may be where I am right now. For a while I took up arms against a sea of troubles only to find myself exhausted, sword in hand slashing and slicing at waves that cared nothing for me. Circumstances have no conscience, events have no soul nor do they notice the carnage they leave behind.

   In times such as these I am finding it is best to just hang on and wait a minute. Like the hurricanes that have battered my home in the past it will pass and I can rebuild. It seems that the more storms I have to face the easier it is to prepare for them and repair the damage after their passage. In the clear light of day it is easier to see that all is not lost and that life is more important than things. In the future when faced with storms I will not try to fight the inevitable, but I will lash myself to a sturdy tree or some other structure and ride it out. Storms never last forever and I can always rebuild, I always have. However, I keep a closer eye on the barometer of my life these days and as soon as I see indications of an impending storm I prepare, and with each approaching storm I find myself more prepared for the impending damage and the rebuilding process. Take stock of your storm supplies, I am, for in life it is always storm season. The only variable is where and when it will make landfall. Be prepared. I am as I start over, over 50.