-having a job

-not having a job

-applying for jobs

-the job market

When the default is “forever” and shorter relationships are seen as a failure, we miss out on a lot. We stay in relationships that don’t work because they’re not “bad enough” to leave, as though not wanting the relationship anymore isn’t a good enough reason. We deny ourselves happy memories, saying “If it doesn’t work now, our love then wasn’t real.” We pass on relationships we know would be short, because if it doesn’t last forever, what’s the point in joy in the moment?

Once upon a time, Arjuna was scouting ahead of his army and walked on the shore seperating the continent from Lanka. He gazed over the sea, marveling at the ocean that the monkeys had built an entire bridge over to carry Lord Rama, just so he could rescue his wife. He marveled, and marveled; and then, suddenly, he scoffed. “An entire bridge!” He laughed. “And he needed a bunch of monkeys to do it for him! I suppose old heroes aren’t so great after all. I could build a bridge with just my arrows from my inexhaustible quiver, here. Monkeys nothing.”

At hearing this, an old monkey who was nearby came scurrying up. “Excuse me, did I just hear you say you were superior to Lord Rama?” the wizened old monkey asked, confused. “Darn tootin’,” Arjuna said anachronistically. The monkey started stomping the ground in anger. “No, no! You shouldn’t talk about Lord Rama like that! Besides, you’re not even smart. Maybe you could make a bridge for yourself with your arrows. But Lord Rama had to carry an entire monkey army with him.”

Arjuna says “Uh, no, I could do that.” The old monkey says “No, you couldn’t. Apologize to Lord Rama.” Arjuna says “He’s not even around, Monkey! And yes, I could! Frankly, you should be less worried about respecting a dead king and respect the man in front of you!” The old monkey says “Look, if you can make a bridge that could even hold up a frail old monkey like me, I’ll bow and scrape at your feet.” Arjuna says “You’re on, stupid old monkey.” So he shoots his arrows. Starts building a bridge. It’s impressive, for a bridge made out of arrows that are shot. And once it just gets going—-

The monkey suddenly isn’t an old monkey anymore. He’s turned giant—-he’s young—-he’s Hanuman himself! Arjuna looks terrified. Hanuman taps the bridge with his pinky toe and it falls to pieces. “Well?” Hanuman says, satisfied. Arjuna, who’s never allowed himself to be humiliated in his life, just starts building the bridge again. Hanuman breaks it again. This goes on for like an hour or something.

Eventually, while they’re doing this, Lord Krishna—-who you will remember, is Lord Rama himself!—-comes to both of them and says ‘what the hell is happening?’ They both explain what had happened, and Krishna shakes his head and corrects them. “Arjuna, you shouldn’t be so proud! Rama was a great king! Proper respect is important!”

And then he turns to Hanuman and says “Hanuman, Arjuna is a great prince and really important and stuff. Don’t make him feel bad. That’s just as bad. I know you promised to defend Rama [me] all the time but that doesn’t count here because Arjuna’s self esteem is soooOooo important. Pretty much the new main character, here.”