Old and New Adages for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Unbreakable Laws?

Funny, here we are at the one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And I haven’t seen it yet; it is pouring. Makes me think of Murphy.

Murphy’s Law: If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.

When I was a little kid, my parents introduced me to Murphy and Murphy’s Law. We even has a little book with all of the corollaries and axioms. I learned Murphy’s Law was like gravity – an unbendable law.

Of course, when I was a little kid we put a man on the moon. And I watched on T.V. So much for gravity.

Murphy’s Law is a real law, like gravity. Things do tend to go wrong. This is a fallen world. But we repeatedly overcome gravity, don’t we?

Mottos

Murphy’s Law is not my motto. I have more than one motto, but most often I say, “PollyAnna was right.” Not the bogus version of PollyAnna so frequently mocked –but the real PollyAnna in the original book by Eleanor Porter. She used to look for a reason to be glad in every trouble.

In the story, PollyAnna’s father taught her to play the glad game as they battled poverty and the death of her mother. PollyAnna eventually lost her father too. I think PollyAnna knew about Murphy.

She just did not choose to let Murphy win. Before he died, her dad had explained to her that the Bible contains hundreds of commands to “be glad.” He figured that there must be a way to follow the command in spite of circumstances. So, he had invented the glad game.

My Modification of Murphy’s Law

I do not ignore Mr. Murphy. My Rheumatoid Arthritis has not given me the luxury of that much denial. I am forced to confront reality.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is like a dirty diaper: ignore it at your own risk. You really can’t do that for long. So, yeah, Murphy knows where to find me.

Murphy cannot be avoided. I do not want to give him too much credibility however. So, I say this: Murphy lurks.

I am aware of his schemes, but I have my ways of dealing with him.

By the way, the kids are having a great time with games in the cabin. And no one is sunburned. And did you see that rainbow?

Recommended reading:

• Baloney About Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Poem by Friend of Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior
• Rheumatoid Arthritis can make you patient