The Paradox of Our Time

According to the Random House College Dictionary, a paradox is defined as 1) a

statement or proposition seemingly self-contradictory or absurd, but in reality expressing

a possible truth; 2) any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory

nature. Writer Rosalie Colie in "Paradoxia Epidemica" states: "The one element

common to all paradox is their exploitation of the fact of relative or competing value

systems. The paradox is always somehow involved in challenging some orthodoxy.

The paradox is oblique criticism of absolute judgment or absolute convention."

This reading is one of my all time favorites. I've received it numerous times via

email and each time I read it, it makes me ponder over it's analogies once more.

One of the numerous verses that affect me is the statement referring to having bigger

houses but smaller families; more conveniences, but less time. My husband and I only

have 2 children after agreeing we would only have a child. I ended up with twins so that

choice was taken of my hands. We live in an almost 3000 sq. ft. house and the twins are

now living on their own. We often discuss buying a larger house; our dream home now

that we don't have the expense of caring for our sons. (They chose not to go to college

but went straight into the Air Force so since we didn't have to pay for their college, we

purchased their cars for them). We still help them out from time to time but the greatest

expense of caring for them was lifted once they left. The house we live in now is quite

adequate for our needs. With both of us working full time and attending college full

time, neither of us have too much free time to enjoy our house anyway. And, with all

the convenience technology has given us, I still find myself wondering where did the day

go and what did I accomplish today?

Another favorite of mine is: "We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast,

get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV

too much, and pray too seldom". Guilty as charged. I am a shopaholic, find very little in

life to laugh about, definitely drive too fast and get road rage too often, stay up way too

late most nights and then wake up tired. I used to read a book a night. Now, unless I'm