“When things are going well, put a small rock in your shoe.”
This is what the mother of Adis—the guy who guided the 9-hour tour I was on yesterday—tells him when everything in his life is going well.
His parents lived through war. They’ve experienced unfathomable evils. And to top it off, they’ve had to build everything in their life from scratch—their house, their farm, their sense of any kind of stability—not once, but multiple times.
…Can you imagine? Literally building your life brick-by-brick, plant-by-plant, sweat droplet-by-sweat droplet, only to have it completely destroyed… and then doing it all over again?!
What I think his mom is reminding him is don’t rely solely on luck in life.
…Because what Adis’ parents went through and what he’s going through is merely a difference in uncontrollable worldly luck.
But when you keep a small rock in your shoe, you remember not to take luck for granted.
…And you learn how to roll up your sleeves and do hard work; you learn how to accept painful situations and confront reality with what’s in your control versus burying your head in the sand (read: screens); you learn how to be damn grateful for the luck when it is there—because if there’s nothing else history has taught us it’s that luck is never promised.
…And having that small rock in your shoe will have you more ready for the un-luck than comfy-cozy shoe living ever will.