The Art of Losing

The loss of a lonely man never makes much of a sound. | Source

How lucky it is — to not be victorious.

The Door Closes

There’s an old saying that when one door closes, another opens. It’s an eye-roller — an idiom that people scoff at — and for good reason. I’d like to expand on this metaphor. When that door closes, it can sometimes never open again. And it’s not just the door, it’s where it leads — a place that you would call your home.

Whether it’s by mistake, or even just bad luck, there is heartbreak when that door closes. When you lose the home that you thought you’d die with — your entire identity.

And it can seem impossible or hopeless, when it first happens. The door closes, and you’re locked out. Now what? A change of perspective. In reality, you are surrounded by a neighborhood of doors. This might sound inauthentic or tacky, but it’s true. We have no fixed fate.

There is nothing stopping you walking away and never looking back. Have the courage to start all over again. Shake the dust.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
 — One Art by Elizabeth Bishop

About B. Kenneth Brown