A little wisdom from Dungeon Master
Sep 5th, 2008 by katesaltfleet
When I was a kid, I loved the Dungeons and Dragons series. For those of you who missed it, or did not spend your formative years in front of 1980s kids’ TV, Dungeons and Dragons was a cartoon based on the role playing game of the same name (a forerunner to the likes of World of Warcraft). The plot was a group of kids go on a ride at a fairground and are transported into an alternative universe known as the Realm. Anyway, I digress.
One of the distinguishing features of D&D was the fact that each of the characters had their own personal journey, in addition to the challenge that faced them all (finding their way out of the Realm and home). Dungeon Master was the character who acted as a guide and mentor to the children, often by giving cryptic clues and advice. Ultimately, the kids had to figure it out for themselves.
This week has reminded me of one of Dungeon Master’s sage pieces of advice:
When things look their worst, they are really their best.
The profundity of this statement is quite amazing for a kids’ cartoon. I have been very frustrated at times this week, and it is a truism (in my experience, at least) that inspiration and illumination shine at their brightest after one has persevered through adversity. I have been quite discouraged with work (it is a very busy time at college as the new academic year has just started), and although I am putting my life back together as a single girl, there have also been some personal and practical upheavals with that. My meditations have been a churn of noise coming from my over-analytical mind, and I’ve even considering quitting blogging, or at least giving it a rest.
Yet, as I sit here on Friday night, listening to the hammering rain, I know that things are getting better. I know that my colleagues and students appreciate my hard work. I know that although dealing with my breakup is painful at times, that I am handling it with dignity and ultimately I will emerge stronger. I know that my meditations will help me get some peace if I persevere with them, and towards the end of this week, that has been the case, even if it has only been 2 or 3 minutes out of a 20 minute meditation. I also know I am doing the best I can regarding this blog and that is enough.
Sometimes the journey is what you miss most when you reach the destination, not the starting point.
x
As they say, it’s during tough times that the most opportunities are around.
And… I totally need to see if I can rent that show on DVD. I’m a fantasy nerd… not sure how I missed that one as a kid