As I thought for far too many days about this topic (in addition to traveling to HOT Virginia), I realized that without expectations there would be no surprises. I really hate the term "expect the unexpected" but I do live by the rule that to have expectations, will guarantee surprises.
Some things will always happen as expected such as:
1. A car with Massachusetts license plates will drive crazily.
2. A usually quiet baby will scream at the worst possible moment.
3. An outdoor event without a backup plan leads to rain or even snow.
Every sentient human being has expectations, whether or not they acknowledge them, i.e. the sun will rise tomorrow morning, we grow older every day, the sun will set every day. Although think about the people that were totally expecting the world to end on May 21st: SURPRISE!!
My favorite obituary (and actually I have a few) is that the person "died unexpectedly". Death was definitely in their expectations for that day. Of course what they're saying is that the person was not suffering from a slow moving fatal illness. Still does anyone REALLY expect death even if they have a fatal disease? We're all going to die (maudlin enough for you) but do we really expect to, even if it is imminent. There is something inside even the most suicidal of people that just does not expect to die; hence the sad surprise.
Surprises are both the upside and downside of expectations. On the upside, you didn't expect any more grandchildren and now, surprise, one's on the way. On the downside, you expected to graduate from college (many times perhaps), but, surprise, life got in the way. Love and relationship expectations always have the surprises built right into them. The surprise that I'm not fond of at the present time is you maybe expected to retire independently wealthy and, surprise, not even close.
I guess my conclusion to this ditty (and it certainly needs one) is that we will always have expectations, but how you go through life will be determined by the way you handle the surprises.
This post was done as part of the GBE2 blogging group
