Ballad of the Opposites

They’re undivided twins, two entities whose roots are growing from the same tree. Where one goes, the other follows. They’re the yin and yang who exist in an odd harmony. It’s like tearing the stinger off the honey bee; they cannot thrive in our world without each other’s support.  The perfect opposites standing side by side and hand in hand. What’s the point in saying one has bathed in success if one has never tasted failure?  Similar to how good cannot triumph without evil, failure is the essential element that brings a victory. 

This is a philosophy I can completely agree with.

Failure is a subject that is mocked and viewed as an overall negative thing. It’s something to laugh about at the expense at someone’s humiliation. It’s used as a weapon to degrade someone when they stumble or anchor to sink someone down to their level. In fact, people seem to skip over that failure is an unavoidable turbulence on the flight to victory. It’s the ugly duckling in a sense. Starting off repulsive and unwanted but over time transforms into something spectacular. So spectacular, sometimes our eyes overlook it or let it pass right by us. Failure and success have always been a package deal.

Failure and success is a key part of relationships too. Pulling yourself up when you lose your heart for a bit or whatever may occur; merely being able to do that action is a success in itself. 

There was a relationship I once took part in. It was a long goodbye from the start. If we had been manifestations of forest animals, I would have been a fox, a vixen. My former companion would’ve been a raccoon. The two mammals clash in their natures. The raccoon was mischievous and a kleptomaniac. He stole a long arrange of objects, physical and emotional. The fox was naïve and did malicious actions despite her never intending to do so.  His meddling around got him in deep water, whereas the foxes curiosity lead her astray. Right when we exchanged words we became tied.

Our relationship became a hiking trail. The raccoon and the fox scaled the mountains, braced themselves as the rolled down bumpy hills and somehow regained control.

“Where do we go from here?”

That first confrontation was the foundation for a disastrous ending. The fox bared her fangs and the raccoon hissed. We went back and forth with the swords of our words, leaving cuts and bruises all over our friendship. It was a failed compromise between the two creatures that, externally, seemed like alike spirits but internally, it was two different storms raging. Before we realized it, our friendship was a body on life support. We both picked up the pipes and swung our anger, our sorrow and in turn left an open gash that we didn’t bother attempting to heal. The raccoon gave up as did the fox.

“This is becoming bloody madness….”

I didn’t desire that, I wanted to go back to the start. Life isn’t a video game; however, I cannot just restart and erase what had transpired. My own arrogance turned my actions into an innocent malice and I was so blinded I couldn’t even see where I was walking. I failed to see the signs and I failed to fix the problem as it slept at my feet.

Once the raccoon abandoned the unstable fox, she began to ponder. She pondered and pondered until she sorted everything out. I opened my eyes and all the thoughts aligned themselves. When it all began and when everything hit rock bottom.

From that broken, shameful state, the fox arose again. Transformed into a victor in overcoming herself and accepting her faults. No “it was his fault” or it was an accident”.  No excuses or denial. Just like any other failure in the pit, eventually they’ll learn to climb.

I kept walking after that, I continued to talk and make memories, continued to fail but get back up. I allowed myself to get over myself and do one of the greatest things a person can do; grow and move on with life. Wallowing would get me nowhere and if I lingered too long in the past I would get stuck. I had to fail to learn. Failure will always be followed by success, no matter the situation. We might not even realize all the good things we’ve gained. I’m not even close to an exception. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I would’ve missed him smiling in my direction.