There is an old expression when someone is in a peck of trouble that seems to have limited their options. We say that they are "between a rock and a hard place". Boy howdy can I relate. Many times our positioning smack dab betwixt said geological formation and indurated locale is firmly of our own fault. We are there because of our own decisions. Sometimes we make choices based on faulty input parameters that lead us to that bad place. Sometimes we end up where we find ourselves having made decisions that we knew good and well were foolish. We are stuck, hemmed in, and paying a price that we have encumbered from sheer stupidity. My friends, I am living proof. I pray that you will learn from my sorry example.Rock: In my office at work I have a desk where I put my laptop computer. Usually because I have papers and files spread out at the front of the desk, I have to lean across the desk to reach my computer positioned on the back side. The other day I needed to use my laptop for an extended period of time. Instead of moving the papers and files to allow myself access, I stretched across my desk and let its edge press into my ribcage all day. When I got home, I found that I had bruised the heck out of the muscles on my right side.
Hard Place: My ears have always given me fits of itchiness. Sometimes in my desparation, I will grab whatever implement I can find to stick in there to alleviate the symptoms. For years, I used the tip of my mechanical pencil. After getting several massive ear infections, I stopped using my pencil. However, the other day, I was in such dire straits that I used the end of my eyeglasses to itch my left ear. I ended up with massive swelling and my ear was very tender to the touch.
My poor decisions led to several nights without sleep. My natural position in bed is to lay on one side of my body or the other. However, every time I rolled to my left side, my ear made contact with the pillow causing me to yelp out in pain. Everytime I rolled over to my right side, the pain in my ribs caused me to wince. Rock. Hard place. Have we learned anything from this self-inflicted lesson? Have we?
