Karma Chameleon

Nice idea but no, not really.

Ok folks, it's time we had a little chat.  Yes, things have been nutso crazy around here (the word of the day seems to be "cognitive dissonance" but that story is still unfolding so I'm not ready to write about it) and working full time, though I love what I do, makes fitting all the other stuff like laundry and errands and raising three heathens lovely girls and...writing a little difficult.  But this has been driving me nucking futs for a while.

This meme I that I found is exactly the problem.  Let's just clear up a few misconceptions about karma, shall we?  Karma is NOT punishment or reward.  Karma is not about bad things happening to you because you did something bad to another person...or good things because you done something nice.  I'm really all set with the idea most people have that Karma is some sort of cosmic retribution device.

Simply put in a way anyone should be able to understand, Karma is a law of the Universe .  Action = Consequence.  That's it.  No mystery here people.  Every action we take (or, ha ha, don't take) has a consequence or even many consequences.  And the consequence is always going to be directly related to the fricking action.  Here are a few examples of what is and isn't "karmic..."

It's sunny and warm when you leave the house to run errands so you head out without a jacket or umbrella.  (Note to those of you reading who are not from New England..if it's March or April this is always a bad idea despite what the weatherman tells you and you got your karma right there.  Because it's fecking New England and you dang well know better.)  So when it suddenly starts thundering, pouring buckets and oh my lord is that hail? or snow? and you along with all your groceries get soaked coming out of the store...well that's karma.  It's not that you are being punished for piss-poor judgement and general stupidity doing something bad.  The action, choosing not to bring protective outerwear, led to the consequence of having to wring out your pants and your pasta when you get your soggy asterisk home.  So ding, ding, ding, we have a karma winner here.

So now let's say that it's the last day of Spring school vacation.  The kids are climbing the walls and every word out of their mouths is a barb carefully aimed to see how mad they can make each other, the dog is chasing the cats, the entire house looks like it's been tossed by a horde of junkies looking for spare change (wait, you mean this doesn't happen to you too?)...until finally  mama looses her schtuff.  Here we call that having a conniption, some might call it opening a can of whoop-ass, either way there are kids hopping to do what mama says right the frick now.  When mama goes out to the car to leave and there's a flat tire...well, that is not Karma getting her back for yelling at the kids thus proving she's not going to win the mother of the year award again.

Getting nailed for doing 60 mph in a 45 zone because you wanted to play just one more internet game and now you're going to be late for work?  Karma.

Angry old man yells at the kids to get off his lawn while shaking his fist at the sky gets shat on by a bird?  Not Karma.

Helping your neighbor clear snow and then winning at bingo?  Not Karma.

Studying like a mad bastid for the Bar exam and passing it with flying colors?  Karma.

Alrighty then, coincidence is not causation.  Oh, and Karma?  It is neither good nor bad.  It's just neutral.  The good or bad part depends on your perspective, doesn't it?

"But, Mrs. Zookeeper-know-it-all, if it isn't Karma, how come bad things happen to good people?  They must have done something to deserve it, right?"   Sure, if you want to keep living in your self contained little Universe, you can go on believing that.  Especially since it makes you feel like nothing horrible will happen to you because you don't "deserve" it and everyone else does...though I wouldn't recommend having that conversation anytime in the near future with the parents in Sandy Hook, or the people who were at the Boston Marathon this year.

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Here's a hint..7 billion people

Here's a modern head scratcher for you.  The more connected we become with all our gadgets and doo-hickies, the less connected we really are.  "Like" a photo on facebook to show your support for the people who lost their lives or limbs in Boston?  Maybe I'm missing something, but seriously?  Wtf difference is it going to make to them?  "Well, Betty, I'll have to walk with a plastic leg for the rest of my life and I have no idea how I'm going to pay the bills now that I'm blind and can't work, but hey, 152,000 people are rooting for me on facebook..."

I guess it really shouldn't be a surprise to me then why so many people have a difficult time grasping the idea that their actions have real consequences for others.  When you are living in a self-centered, instant gratification bubble and thinking "me, me, me" all the time it probably is easy to forget that what you do (action) affects (consequence) every one around you as well.  Which means, duh, that what other people do is gonna have some sometimes surprising, sometimes nasty consequences for you too.

Bad things happen to good people not because they deserve them, but because while we are all busy doing and consequencing our own little lives, so are they.  Newsflash dudes and dudettes, it is entirely possible to be the victim of someone else's Karma bomb.  Because deny it all we want, we are all connected.  Maybe if more people understood that the world would be a better place.

There are a few people I would like to remind though...actions have consequences.  And when those actions are illegal, the consequences can be pretty fecking enormous.  Just sayin'.

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"As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons." ~Max Ehrmann

One of my very favorite quotes, and one that has been in my mind a lot the last few weeks.  Basically, you do what you can to be good to others, don't give up or surrender what you believe in, stand up and fight if you have to.  It's the only Karma you need to worry about.

~tzkw