Thursday, October 18, 2007

Tragedy

Wow, 30+ comments on Yeshivaworld. Some people really are bored.
So, some people missed the point.
Others are harping on the fact that I'm 25.
Still others assume that my job is well-paying. LOL.
And that my family relationships are perfect.
Some offered brachos; others, their condolences.
I truly hope no one was hurt.
'Twas meant for those looking at others as pitiful creatures to realize that we are not so. I'm not belittling the hurt and pain singles experience. What I am saying is that most of the singles I know, be they 21, 31, 48 or 25; most are not comforted by the fact that others view them as victims of a tragic circumstance.
Does that mean that others shouldn't care? Of course not! Please, continue to make shidduchim, how difficult it may be.
But to paint a life as a tragedy - please. Save that for the episodes described by one of the commenters (may they never occur again).


Way back when in high school
While studying English Lit.
I learned the definition
Of a word that seemed to fit

A sad and unfortunate event
A calamity of major proportions
A disaster way beyond belief
That led to much misfortune

Yet there's been a distortion
Of this word, or so I fear
For I've looked at my life
And note, no calamities are near

Thank G-d, I am quite healthy
I can see out of both eyes
My feet move oh so properly
My hands can fall and rise

I've got a job that I enjoy
My finances are stable
And I thank the Lord that I can still
Put food upon my table

I love my parents and I know
They love me just the same
(Though neither has forgotten
That I still keep their last name)

My siblings' homes are open
For a Shabbos or a rest
And my friends' phone lines are working
Though the times aren't always best

So why's my life a tragedy?
What's the crisis that does thrive?
There are greater disasters
Than a single girl at twenty five.

And yes, I am still hoping
That I'll meet my One someday
And there are times I'm barely coping
And can not do much but pray

But even so, my life is full
Of chessed and good things
With nary a tragedy in sight
On which to mournfully sing.

15 comments:

Scraps said...

I really, really like this poem! I think we should make it one of those email forwards that fly around the Internet, the whole world needs to see this one! :)

Obviously, we want to be married...but it's not like we're not living life until then.

Anonymous said...

i loved this too

its true how we're made to feel that our life is a tragedy when in reality we have so much to be thankful for.

For me whats most painful is just having no place in any world. In the religious world we don't belong because its all about marriage and families etc, and in the seculer world, we deffinitly dont belong there because of who we are, we hold a jewish soul, and even if we could let go of who we are, we'll be in constant struggle trying to find a place in tha world that isn't ours to belong too,

so yes we trudge on, doing our best to keep our strength and not give in to temptation, and if we do now and then, we pray that we find it within ourselfs to pick ourselfs up and start again...

being married isnrt everything, its not, i have friends who suffer deeply, and ive seen things that can put people off for life, and sometimes in a smalll way, im thankful im single, what i cant handle anymore is being a missing piece, a nobody, a person to feel sorry for, I just want to live my life and feel some kind of purpose and goal to aim towards and not to focus my whole mind , heart and soul on this one thing called marriage and finding my soul mate

this should have been written on my own blog, but there you go, here it is, its alreay written..

i havnt vented like this in months, so thanks for giving me the chance dreamer ;)

take care

love another dreamer xx

halfshared said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
halfshared said...

DREAMER, are you the one that wrote this?? I just saw it on Yeshiva world and was wondering who is the author of it. So true and so well written! You are great. I absolutely love your style. Thanks for getting the message out there.

corner point said...

Ah...but isn't a tragedy all in the perception of a situation?

So to them, their lives are tragic; good for you that yours is not. Don't let them convince you that yours should be if you believe it shouldn't...

Great poem. I like your style
:-)

David_on_the_Lake said...

Great poem...
Its so true..How sometimes the little tragedies or harder because it seems frivolous to lament them..and so they find no outlet..

Bas~Melech said...

You go girl!

We got Dreamer back!

Floating Reflections said...

Well written. Yes, it is all a matter of perception!

the dreamer said...

scraps - you can start the chain. :)

anon - any time you'd like to vent, just come here... this blog's available...

halfshared - yup, twas me! dunno why i sent it to yeshivaworld. guess i just wanted to see all the stupid comments others would write. there were some nice ones, which surprised me... :P

CP - yeah, but only sometimes. there are real tragedies in life, and i don't think my life is a shakesparean tragedy, thank you very much.

david - but that's just it. a little "tragedy" ain't a tragedy. it may be unfortunate, but to use the word tragedy in such bold terms is a distortion of the word. and when it comes to REAL tragedies, we may have a hard time describing why life is so much harder then.

BM - where'd I go?

BAS - yup, that it is.

halfshared said...

K can I tell you again that I like the poem? You probably sent it in because people out there have got to wake up and smell the coffee..enough of the pitying. We want action, not pity and not labels.

Bas~Melech said...

You went into this streak of depressing posts. I missed the other side of you.

Yeah, it was amazing how few commentators on YW just took your point for what it was. I think I'm locked into a permanent eyeroll :P

Anonymous said...

Great stuff! Yes, getting married is great and I want to, but I feel like I'm doing plenty until then.

It's great that we're so comfortable that we can consider singlehood a tragedy...

Yaffa said...

where is it posted on YW? cant find it...

halfshared said...

Illegal- heres the link: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/10891/Tragedy?+(Written+Anonymously+By+A+YW+Reader).html
Dreamer, it went up to 49 comments. Not bad.

AT PEACE said...

YOU GO GIRL!

Great One! I loved it! Keep up to good spirits!