Yesterday I had lunch with my husband at the local Chinese restaurant. The spring rolls were excellent, as ever, but the fortunes in the cookies continue to reach an all-time low in quality. Mine said, "Enjoy the weather." His said, "Hard work is its own reward."
"Enjoy the weather" is not a fortune. It's an order. And while I am a big fan of the gloomy, rainy, thundery weather we had yesterday, and did, in fact, plan to enjoy it, this cookie gave me neither insight into my future nor a shred of inspiration.
"Hard work is its own reward," is not a fortune either. One might call it a proverb or a maxim if one wanted to to sound fancy, but essentially it is merely a comment. And not even an original comment.
A good fortune, whether from a cookie or a tarot card reader or a palmist, is both cryptic and possible. One of the best fortunes I ever got said, "Now is a good time to explore." Hmm. Explore. Right away, the mind runs to what, exactly, should be explored and even with whom it should be. The possibilities are near endless, and yet nearly anything could qualify.
There are those true believers who seek out mystics with the full conviction that they will learn something true. The rest of us play such games for a different purpose, I believe. Because we want the glimmer of prospect. In this life, for so many, enjoying the weather or being satisfied that you've put in an honest day's work may be as good as it gets. But it's that glimmer of prospect that keeps us going.
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