Prized Consolation

Today is the meeting of a local writers group, an assemblage of people with whom I have little in common.  We hail from various backgrounds and geographical locations, and we have one objective:  To motivate, encourage, hound, harrass and shame each other into finishing our respective works.  Talk is cheap, and there are dozens of other writer groups that are filled with socialites, dowagers, Miss Daisies and pretenders.  No, we try to be serious about our work.

A fateful phone call derailed my plans.  On the other end was "the job".  End of story; money is money.  In this economy we hear:  "Well, be thankful you have a job!" - and whoever says that is right.  Yet I wonder if it is sensible to be thankful for the consolation prize.

The consolation prize is the lure of a reliable paycheck, instead of fulfilling the omnipresent dream.

The consolation prize is the item on sale - last years' model or last one in the bin - which is perfectly fine but not exactly what you need.

The consolation prize is settling down with someone who is "nice enough"; after all, he or she isn't a [fill in the blank________________:  Abuser, druggie, alcoholic, cheater, murderer, etc.].

Society has taught us to be unrealistic, selfish and lazy.  Life is work and anything worthwhile comes with a price.  There is nothing wrong with choosing the consolation prize, as long as one seeks counsel and intelligently weighs the options.  But as we continuously work out our tasks ranging from the mundane to the monumental, from the simple to Salvation, let us make sure that we are not simply settling due to lack of effort.