being right

Years ago, when I lived in Boulder, I had a spiritual advisor of sorts. He wasn't some far-out, long-haired dude like you might think. He was a machinist. An old gearhead.

I used to call him when I was in a jam, or I wasn't quite feeling right. Often, this was during periods of conflict.

He'd patiently listen to all the details of whatever drama I was living, and then he'd say, "Would you rather be right, or dead? Because there's no life in being right."

It's so true. When I feel as though I'm "right" and someone else is "wrong," it's as if I cease to fully live. All I do is think over and over and over in my head all the ways I'm right and they're wrong. The thoughts are so persistent and strong that I become numb to pretty much everything else. Dead, in a way.

Cross-X by Joe Miller