Diamonds or Pearls

Every year (or maybe less) their is an email sent around work. It's one that I am suprised people still send around but I like to get it, fill it out, and send it back out. It's one of those "get to know your friends" emails. Where a set of maybe 25-30 questions are to be answered and then you send it out to everyone who might want it so they can read your answers. The person who gets it from you then clears your answers, fills in their own, and sends it out again. Much nicer than those chain emails that often contain pleasant messages, but always end with an obnoxious statement like "forward this to 10 people in the next 5 minutes and something great will happen to you" or "you have to forward this! don't be a jerk and let this stop with you." Can't stand those regardless of the contents.

Sorry, off topic a bit. So one of the questions this time was "Diamonds or Pearls?" Keep in mind I have a tendancy to try to hard and think to much about my answers. My mind didn't wander to which is prettier, harder to find, or which I have a liking to. Instead I thought solely on the creation process of the two and how they relate to our lives. Keep in mind I am pulling this info from memory which may be a bit off...

Diamonds are essetially just carbon atoms in coal or lead or some other minereal base that have been heated and pressureized for a while. A long while. Until the bonds of the carbon are rediculously strong and dense. Aside from some lazer cutting and polish the diamond is ready to go. So the diamond is like the person who through time, great pressure, and high temperatures will grow to be strong and of high quality. A person who perserveres through such hardships and troubles would become a highly effective tool. Or simply a gem among gems. They would be a sight to behold and something to be admired.

Pearls are basicaly a coated piece of sand or other debrise that got stuck in an oyster, clam, or mussels shell. The creature, unable to find a toothpick, slowly covers the foriegn element with a liquid of some kind. Over time the coatings round out and aside from some spit shining create a full pearl. The pearl is like the person who was unable to rid themselves of a specific trouble and through the years and the pain managed to survive. Turning the pain into something good. Something that could not have been gained without such hardships. Something of great value within themselves.

It would be a hard life wouldn't it? Being one of these people. Having a lifetime of struggle to stay above water or a lifetime with a single thorn in your side. Even more so it would be difficult to turn these problems into a thing of beauty. Many pearls are made spotted and many diamonds are made cloudy. It isn't easy, but it is impressive and worth our appreciation. Do you know someone who lives under a great weight or with a thorn always in their side? Have you ever said they would be better off without it? If so, do you still think they would be better off without it? Hard to say considering it is not a 100 % success rate among clams, right. I tend to think so, but I suppose their are always exceptions.

In the end I think I wrote that I didn't care much for either, which isn't really a good answer to the question. But I didn't think that was the place to ramble about my thoughts on the two choices. This is the place for oddball ideas and crazy ramblings. Lucky you. :wink: