for many people, the time comes when they must separate themselves from certain people in order for them to function correctly. Sometimes, this freedom comes shaped like living on campus during college, or working semesters in other parts of the country - but no matter how if happens, they realize that they must be free of that which constrains them...
Let's say "they" is you...
After you have your epiphanies (whenever it was you had them), God throws you a curve ball... you don't know why (and you really aren't meant to know) but He has decided to stick you right back where you feel the greatest repulsion. The place you had just figured out that you needed to leave has somehow got you trapped - again. Maybe you are trapped because of obligation, or by respect, or because of money, etc. etc. The fact is - you are there.
Now, you are given a myriad of options, but for some reason you, yes - you, have decided that you cannot possibly take certain options...
Fine, don't take them, that is your choice, but you must, must, must remember that even though you chose to limit yourself to other choices, those choices that you have denied yourself - whether it be pride, ethical, religious, cultural, political, etc. - still exist. Then you realize, that the choices you have left will not remedy the situation to your liking - it is either too slow, or not enough, or this, or that...
Which brings us to our dilemma - You do not like the situation you are in, but you do not like the choices to which you have limited yourself. What do you do?
Shoot the hostage, take her out of the equation ~Jack Traven
In my humble opinion (which I will state here because you can't stop me) there are two things you can do... One - compromise that which has limited you to this decision - or Two - suck it up and keep moving in the direction you are going (which can be construed as taking it lying down, being stupidly optimistic, or having faith - the latter of which I prefer)
I would think that option One would be easily done if it were just politics - a little harder if it is cultural - and, for many, much harder if it were just pride (although you could argue that this should be the easiest to swallow)... Now Ethics and Religion - If these are the two things that are holding you back, then the dilemma becomes much more difficult (or difficulter* (translated from the Bad English)
If it is Ethics, you can go against them, but this (in your eyes) will make you a bad person. Depending on what you based you values, this is open for interpretation, and you can even lie to yourself to get around your problem with morals... not something I would recommend doing, but I'm not one to crush other people's dreams (unless they, of course, involve something that detracts from the utility of others and myself)
If it is religion, then I am sorry - but if you truly have faith, then you have no choice but to follow it - or you're gonna go to HELL - well, unless of course you make a good confession... (this from my Catholic perspective)
But I won't get into that now...
From the option Two standpoint... If you are stuck in a situation, though, and you are religious (again, from my Catholic perspective) - then I would suggest you pray. All prayers are answered, but in His time, not yours... Perhaps the curve ball God threw you had greater meaning - you just won't know until He tells you, one way or another... in any case, you must just believe that He will take care of you...
walk with me...
and I'll tell you about it...
Oh... one more thing... I never said that it would be easy - in fact, from experience and from observance, it is pretty damned hard...
but that doesn't mean it won't get better...
Smile... and don't forget to dance...
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Postscript -
Please note that no where in the above did I mention that I was a perfect Catholic, even a good Catholic... All I can tell you that I have my soul and I and I have my faith and that I try to do the best I can... that's all I can say about that...
