Living with Chaos

As my friend who sent this out said--if it isn't true, it should be. (He claims his source is probably Reader's Digest, from many years ago.)

My friend wrote:

I have to wonder, if you "crashproof" your life, what are you missing out on?

There was a (probably apocryphal) story about Alexander Fleming being taken on a tour of a modern research lab in the 1940s. The young man who was escorting him around pointed out the cleanliness of the facilities, the extent of the facilities, the super-organization.

"Think of all that you might have discovered, if you'd had a place like this!" he gushed.

"Probably not penicillin," was Fleming's dry reply.

There are two ways to deal with chaos. One is to try to prevent it, and limit it when it occurs. The other is to recognize its inevitability and ride it. There was the German general who observed that Americans made war well, because we are accustomed to, and comfortable with, chaos.*

I couldn't have said it better. And, I think it applies to families as well. Sure, there is the chaos of the children (and the spouse), but there is also the serendipity and what comes out of that chaos can often be turned to good. If you have everything under control and don't allow for spontaneity, you might well miss some good things in your life.

Good luck with your personal chaos over Christmas.

Regards -- Cliff

* I wonder if he is confusing that with the "German General" who said Americans are hard to fight since they neither know their own doctrine nor follow it.