Mistakes

He who never made a mistake never made anything.  Thankfully for most, mistakes are the exception rather than the rule.
I am fond of calling things “show shoppers.”  A show stopper to me, is anything that means I cannot go on with what I intend.
Mistakes can be wilful.  That is, I go down a path, often despite the advice of those that know best.  It is a “blow you Jack, I’m going to do what I want to do.”  I ask “why did I do that?”  The simple answer is, I chose to.  There are also mistakes that are accidental, and heat of the moment mistakes.
I have more than once heard a bang and wondered, “what was that?”  An investigation has led to the discovery that a bird has flown into a window.  It seems it saw the window reflection as more open space to fly into.  Unless of course it was trying to commit suicide, but I am completely unaware of a bird ever wanting to do that.  I have also seen birds collide in flight, and one bird grounded, no longer able to fly.  Those to me are unintentional mistakes.  Like when I knock a cup over or trip over.  I do not mean to do it, but it happens. 
Heat of the moment mistakes are when we do something on the spur of the moment which we often regret.  Often we hear, “they just snapped.”  Of course, what was done was always inside.  It was just thought it would never see the light of day.
However, it seems so often mistakes are treated as show stoppers.  It is like making a mistake is the end of the world.  Certainly, there can be dire consequences.  I can have heaps of “doh” moments. I may make the same mistake over and over.  However much I do not like it, there does seem to be a truth to the “like Father, like son” scenario.  So often it seems the parents problem is inherited by the child.  Getting the help needed, is breaking the cycle.
In a book or movie, the first part is regularly about a problem.  Whatever the problem is, I am looking for the resolution.  I am waiting to see how the problem is overcome.
I reckon the biggest mistake I can make is to give up.  Sure, things can get me down, there can seem to be no hope, but thankfully I have always found there is hope.  It really does seem to me that no matter what I have done, or what has happened, I can always learn from it or them, and move on.
I take incredible comfort from the fact that often when a bone is broken, the mend is stronger than the original.  For some things that would make me really strong.  So often it is the very thing which has been my stumbling block, that becomes my strength.  I can look at people and think how together they seem to have it, and not know the road they took to be where they are now.
The key for me is to not give up.  That is not to say I won’t be tempted to.  But if I am willing to see it through and get the help I need, there really is light at the end of the tunnel which is not a train hurtling towards me.
The very thing that was my weakness, can be my strength.