1. The Plain Girl - Chapter 6: Crash Recovery


    Date: 10/24/2017, Categories: Love Stories, Author: xreynolds, Rating: 4, Source: LushStories

    like it was a spirited horse.” She smiled, sat back in her chair and now winked. “Once broken in, they are the best you know.” Some of the most sensible lessons in life they had learned in their early life in the country. Karla found some small measure of consolation with this idea, but immediately sensed encroaching vanity. Wasn’t this where the whole mess started? “How do I keep it in check?” she asked. “There is always some measure of egotism in striving. Much comes and goes, and at first you only know the tumult. But with you, one thing remains consistent and fruitful and that is your persistent determination to get to the bottom of things. That is the attribute that you can rely on. The integrity of your striving can be measured by your ability to work with others, tolerate others, and get along with others. Taking an interest in others takes us out beyond ourselves and frees us from the harmful consequences of egotism. That is your measure.” “If your work in the kitchen doesn’t bring you satisfaction anymore, you might start asking yourself who you were serving. Perhaps Martin will be able to offer you some advice in this area. If it weren’t for him I never would have discovered nursing. But if you don’t ask, you will never get.” “You have to live in the spirit of asking; wanting to know. Your integrity and attempts at self-honesty don’t get you into trouble. It is true it can get pretty uncomfortable, but that’s because they awaken you to the mess you are already in. ...
    You must build on those qualities. That is the source of your strength.” There was something more behind this, and Karla had become accustomed to Claire’s style of a gradual unveiling of the essential message. “At times, it seems like everything gets turned on its head. What you thought was your strength, all of a sudden, is now your weakness and your weakness becomes your strength. Your personality, Karla, is like a wild mustang. It is strong, but you are not the horse. It will forever go where it wants to go and drag you along with it. Without direction, it will never take you to where you truly want to go. It’s after an episode like last night that you can really clearly see that.” “ I know about the girl who vacillates at times, and you will still have to deal with the fact that your emotions will urge you in ways that might seem satisfying and right in the moment. Then they leave you wondering how on earth you ever thought it was a good idea to go along with what they tell you. … like going with Chuck to a hotel room.” “Okay, you don’t have to rub it in.” Karla squirmed a little in her seat as she looked back and forth but was already bearing things with a little more skill. Sometimes we just need to be alerted to what we already know. It is not just a matter of knowledge, but facing up to it. “You are so right,” Claire continued, “it is you who has to rub it in – but not simply for the purpose of enhancing your 20-20 hindsight. You can do a pretty good job of that, but ...
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