UPS and the realization they delivered.

Esti is a dear friend of mine. She’s intelligent, talented and loyal to a fault. My conversations with her inevitably tend to turn into arguments. Not because we don’t respect each others opinions, but probably because we do.

Unlike me, she is technically ‘supporting’ her husband while he ‘learns’. While I admire a serious learner as much as the next guy, I don’t believe that any husband has the right to do it at his wife’s expense. Apparently my opinion wasn’t called for, and she successfully manages to earn what little bit she needs, being that she is so easily satisfied with the barest minimum. At the same time too, she is raising a family that is קע"ה growing at a remarkable rate. She is an amazingly calm mother, and her kids are some of the most adorable and lovable impish little rascals you’ll ever meet. But it has come to a point where I am literally begging her to go on birth control. Ironically, she is not theoretically against it – she just truly wants to have that large family – like the one she grew up in. I'm afraid that she will get there.

Working at home requires her to have a PC of course, yet amazingly she makes do without the internet. She’s dead set against it – and truthfully, knowing the ’net as well as I do – I can’t find it in my heart to encourage her to get it. But I read to her from my blog, and occasionally from others. They make for good kindle for some heated debates. She tends to have the quirkiest observations about life – and it is fun to hear her angle on things.

The other day we were once again discussing something, that seemed mighty important at the time, but it couldn’t have been that noteworthy – as I can’t seem to recall what it was about. Regardless of what it was, she suddenly commented with something that appears to be quite trivial – but it made me think. I sorta like it when that happens.

With the type of work she does, she tends to have deliveries coming and going from her home regularly. The other day she read an article about the majority her packages’ most frequent carrier – UPS. It mentioned that apparently their logo had a makeover some time ago, and most of the UPS trucks have had the newer version printed on their sides. But not all of them. The two versions are similar – and if one is unaware of the change, it is quite easy to miss. Esti tells me that she has these deliveries on a regular basis and never bothered looking at the little gold logo on the side of the truck, let alone noticing if there was anything new about it. But now that it was brought to her attention, it has become quite impossible for her not to notice each truck that goes by – and immediately take note of which logo it has emblazoned on its side.

There are things in life that we have accepted as the norm. Be it in matters of community issues, traditions, or of course – faith. They just pass us by, we take it for granted that it belongs to be done the way that it’s done - we don’t even notice. And then someone shines a flashlight in that direction.

First there is the discomfort of the glaring light. And then comes the uneasiness with the new world that was exposed.

There are many that believe they have come up with answers, just because it satisfies them on an intellectual level. All the while it leaves them feeling emotionally cast asea, and spiritually stripped bare. But they find it easier to go through life, believing that they understand.

The beauty of our world is in a large sense, the mystery behind it. There is no way we CAN understand it all, although there are many ways we can attempt to. Faith works for me. Simplistic faith. Faith isn't 'knowing' - but rather 'believing'. Where's the fun in certainty? Where is the adventure?

If ignorance is bliss – who is to say that ignorance is all that bad? I say – let’s embrace it. Let’s celebrate it. That innocent and simplistic straightforward faith that gives us contentment in our day to day lives - - while never diminishing the awe.