Set

​Set
Merril chose the word from the dictionary this time and it is a doozy.  It is “set” and occupies three columns because there are so many words that go with set.  Like set apart, set sail, set against, set the pace.  It is not the set (which has a heading of its own) where one has the whole set of something.
The first thing I thought of was the opposite of set. I reckon it is malleable.  I reckon it is so important to be set in some things and malleable in others. In a lot of cases, it is not good to be set in my ways.  There are things I hold to that I will never declare otherwise, but they are based on proven reality rather than blind hope.  There is a heap of things I want to be malleable about.
It is probably important that people have some set ideas, but it seems some have set ideas about things that do not really matter.  I can pick up pretty quickly if someone is just sharing a possibility and declaring a perceived absolute.
Yet for me I reckon it is pretty important I set myself to succeed.  There are things necessary to me for that to happen.  Like patience and love.  I really am a long-term person.  It does not matter to me if something does not happen immediately.  When I am convinced something is going to happen, waiting does not diminish the chances of it happening, but just means it is closer to happening than it was.
I have never been one to set the pace.  They talk about ten minutes of fame.  I reckon I would have like 10 seconds of fame.  I could set a blistering pace and be talked about for all of 20 seconds and then not mentioned again.  Except maybe to say, “there is so and so that started so well, pulling out.”  I reckon it is important not to lose touch with the pack but to have enough in reserve to finish strongly.  As they say it is not how you start, but how you finish.
I notice these days they don’t allow for false starts.  Do it once and you are out.  Previously you were out on the third.  I have had a few false starts in my time.  Declaring I was a certain way, and then down the track deciding different.  Fortunately for me that has not been the case for years.
I am responsible for me, but I do reckon setting forth and changing my mind was a family trait.  I remember one of my parents saying they were going to pull out of a set thing they were doing.  I was doing the same thing so I said “if you, do I will.”  They did not, because they did not want me to.  It is nice when something works.  I have had my share of setbacks though.
I have been set up too.  I was playing cricket and the bowler made out the ball was still to come in, so I set off for a run.  He had it all the time and ran me out.  I have set down a new rule since then, but my days of cricket may be over.  I had a game a few years back and I do not remember the ball being as hard on the hands as it was.
I may have a set destination, but I reckon wherever I am welcome is where I will be.