Life often involves a desire to grasp or obtain something that in the end was not a very good idea. Many of us had parents who shared this admonition with us when we craved this or that thing. We were warned—wisely—that the things we yearn for rapidly become the things we abjure and reject. How many times in your own experience have you found yourself saying, “Well if I had known that, I would never have taken that path.” It’s the lament of those who cast aside thoughtfulness for immediate gratification.
I love boats. I loved them from the first memories I had as a small boy. I scrimped and saved for my first one—a small sailboat—at 15 years old. And since my youth, I have been a boat owner intermittently over my lifetime. But, as many of you know, the happiest days of your life are the day you bought your boat and the day you sold it. I’m firmly in the “happy I have no boats” stage of my life. Boats are a lot of work. Indeed, I agree with the saying that a “boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.”
And because I am a workaholic, I always kept my boats in top condition. Not cheap to do so and much elbow grease expended. But even though I loved the idea of having a boat, and indeed using it, not having one is like lifting an oaken yoke from my shoulders. I’m happy to ride and fish from your boat. But I no longer envy boat ownership, at least not the kind that requires a boat loan, maintenance bills, or cleaning the thing.
I suppose the same can be said of political ambition. I know this well. I was elected to the Virginia General Assembly for 16 years. I loved serving the people of Virginia, but there were times I wondered why? Serving constituents is an honor and privilege. But it can also be a pain, particularly when someone expects of you that which is not in the span of your control. That said, I tried my best to take care of people. An extension of the “soldier care” ethic I learned as an officer. Yet as the years passed by, I found dealing with the world of politics a heavy weight that took me away from my family and other pursuits I had in my heart to accomplish. Like writing books. I really love that, and it is as fulfilling a thing as I have ever undertaken.
Some of you have more profound examples of things you wish you had not wished for. Setting aside relationships, they may be things, opportunities, or pursuits you were sure were your “passion.” They may have then become your nightmare. Ever own a timeshare property? Maybe a sports car that you soon found to be more expensive to maintain than you had expected, to say nothing of being too small to fit comfortably into. Oh, and yes, convertibles can leak. They all leak, but they look so “cool” on the showroom floor that the possibility of dripping water never crosses your mind until it ponds in your lap.
Alas, wishing for stuff can be a bane or a blessing. But most blessings have little to do with stuff. So, what are we to think about this wishing for something? And the things we wish for can have devastating and broader impacts on us, our lives, and our nation if we are not careful. Take political revenge for example.
We’re politically divided in America more than at any time since our violent Civil War. At the center of our current divide is a fight for the soul and culture of our nation, including faith, family, and freedom. That’s not “stuff,” but rather the substance of our civilization. Passions are running high and politicians on both sides are so angry at one another over the culture wars that they’re willing to use the power of government to overpower their opponents. They no longer see voters as the ultimate jury of who is “in” and who is “out.” Nope. Now they resort to law enforcement and justice agencies, even the courts, to do to their opponents what voters are less inclined to do; put them in prison. Partisan politicians are wishing for a turnabout, the kind not based on justice, but rather on revenge. They think voters will rally to this sort of retaliation against people voters have elected.
Don’t like who won? Impeach them. Don’t like the decision of voters? Prosecute those whom they elected. But these schoolyard avengers might do well to be careful what they wish for. Vengeance lurks nearby, is exacting, and can fly back as certain as a boomerang.
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