Life can be described, amongst several other ways, as a series of random events. There are so many opportunities that life brings us simply through chance. On the other hand, this very quality of randomness can make life tiring.
For instance, have you ever spent days preparing for an event only to find that your car has broken down while travelling to the venue? Or perhaps, have you ever found yourself waking up to an enormous mess made by your pets? Neither of these situations are as a result of anything in our control. Yet, they can affect us quite a bit.
Recently, I discovered the story of Blind Willie Johnson, an American Gospel Blues singer and guitarist. He was blinded during a conflict between his parents when he was only seven years old and thus later came to be known as ‘Blind’ Willie Johnson. He encountered several other struggles in his life, including the destruction of his house as a result of a fire. Finally, he passed away at the age of 48 after contracting malaria from continually sleeping outside while exposed to the elements.
Blind Willie Johnson had also been refused treatment at hospitals either as a result of his blindness or due to the racism prevalent in that period. His life was filled with many sorrows and trials that he did not have control over. He experienced huge misfortunes and suffered a great deal. Yet, he persevered and tried his best to survive and grow.
The saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is quite familiar to us. It simply means that when life creates unfavourable situations, we must always try to make the best out of them.
Blind Willie Johnson made an interesting choice with the pain he faced – he channelled it into his music. He decided to make something sweet and beautiful out of something bitter and sour.
Today, his music lives amongst the stars. In 1977, a series of audio, video and photographs were placed on a phonograph record called the “Golden Record” and sent into outer space by NASA with the hope that someday, a foreign civilisation may access it and learn about the way our planet functions. Amongst them was Blind Willie Johnson’s song “Dark Was the Night – Cold was the Ground”. It is a song that is about three minutes long where he hums a beautiful and melancholic tune accompanied by his guitar. There are no words in his song, but it conveys the complexity of human emotions and portrays a mixture of sorrow and hope.
Stepping out into the real world as young people can be a little daunting. Everything does not always go as planned, and people do not always act the way that we expect them to. As a result, it is our responsibility to take complete control over the only thing we truly can – the way we react.
Treat unexpected moments as life’s little surprises. Teach yourself not just to smile through hardships, but to learn from them and use the things you learn to thrive. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
