“What’s the name of the guy who wrote Huck Finn?” Mike asked.

“Mark Twain,” I reminded him.

“Right!” he said, now able to continue his thought.  “It’s like that Mark Twain quote – ‘Some of the worst things in my life never happened.’”

I can relate to Mr. Twain.  My mind has created miles and miles of fictitious betrayals in my life.  The endless, taunting what ifs and if onlys are a plague on my possible contentment.  I’m cynical and pessimistic, and although I can change many things in my life, I cannot fix this malfunction in my way of thinking.  It mutilates my hope.  Repeatedly I am destroyed by these things that have never happened.  It’s a shame, quite honestly.

It may be worth noting that I put my easel together yesterday.  Those who are (or have been) close to me know that I consider this kind of task a man-job, along with killing bugs, lifting heavy objects, and taking out the trash.  But I needed the distraction.  Not to mention, that canvas isn’t going to paint itself, and it wasn’t made to remain blank.