Good? Bad? How Can You Tell?

My writing life, like everyone's writing or non-writing life, is punctuated by ups and downs. A polite rejection is followed by placement as a finalist in a contest which is followed by a not-so-polite rejection which is followed by an email telling me that a different contest has decided not to select a winner at all which is then followed by an email from an acquisitions editor saying, "Let's see if we can make something happen."

How do I keep from getting whiplash?

I remember this story:
A poor farmer's horse ran off into the country of the Barbarians. All his neighbors offered their condolences, but his father said, "How do you know that this isn't good fortune?"

After a few months, the horse returned with a Barbarian horse of excellent stock. All his neighbors offered their congratulations, but his father said, "How do you know that this isn't a disaster?"

The two horses bred and the family became rich in fine horses. The farmer's son spent much of his time riding them. One day he fell off and broke his hip bone. All his neighbors offered the farmer their condolences, but his father said, "How do you know that this isn't good fortune?"

Another year passed and the Barbarians invaded the frontier. All the able bodied young men were conscripted, and nine-tenths of them died in the war.

Thus good fortune can be disaster and vice versa. Who can tell how events will be transformed?

---- "The Huai Nan Tzu Tells a Story,"
from Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell

Seriously! Who can tell how events will be transformed? Not me.

Stay tuned, but fasten your seat belt. I'll keep you posted.

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