This is a true story but the names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty

David was hoping to enjoy this day off work. His first full day off for ten days and this happens. True to form his brake cylinder had developed a leak the day before. Just typical of his luck! Whenever he got a moments peace something turned up to spoil it, it always happened to him.

So there was David, gathering his tools by the car ready to fix the new brake cylinder, he had had to get up early, on his day off, to go into town for a new cylinder gasket. He checked his tools jacked up the car and placed blocks under it, not worth taking any risks, not with his luck.

As he was placing the blocks under the car his neighbours John and Emma walked by.

They said ‘Good morning David’.

He pushed himself out from under the car thinking to himself ‘ ​just my luck can’t even get on with this bloody job without getting disturbed’.

 "For some it might be, but my brake cylinder is leaking and I now have to spend my first day off work for ten days sorting it out." he said.

"Never mind at least the sun is shinning." Emma said.

"When did that happen David." asked John.

"Yesterday, I noticed it as I was coming home from work, the brakes were a bit spongy and I thought to myself. Just my blooming luck! I might have known the something would go wrong when I have a day off tomorrow and I was right. It always happens to me you know", said David.

"Well, like Emma said, at least the suns out." replied John.

"Yeh! And with my luck it will start to rain soon," moaned David.

John and Emma went indoors going about their business. David looked at the car and thought to himself, well now I have been dragged out from under the car I may as well make myself a cup of tea before I start. So off he went into the house to put the kettle on.

Up in heaven God was looking down on earth admiring all the beauty that was his work. He noticed David, listened to him moaning.

"Great" he said to Gabriel who was sat beside him. "Go get the rain hose Gab so I can give this man what he’s asking for."

So Gabriel went and fetched the hose passing it to God.

"Shall I go and turn it on Your mighty" he said.

"No not yet he’s gone to make a cup of tea, we will wait while he gets under the car and has the thing in bits then we’ll drench him" God chuckled to himself.

He loved giving people what they asked for and it constantly amazed him that most people persistently complained about their bad luck, day after day after day. So instead of helping people to prosper and be happy, he was forced into giving people bad luck because that is what they asked him for all the time.

Well, he wasn’t going to let it get him down, he was God and he was going to be happy in spite of the ungrateful majority he gazed upon.

David came out of the house with his mug of tea, surveyed his tools, looked at his car in total disgust, thinking damn that thing had been nothing but trouble since I bought it, just my luck. Under the car he went tools in hand and would you ‘Adam and Eve it’ five minutes later the heavens opened.

Down it poured as David raced to the front door. Shouting "I knew it! just my luck!!"

Just as he shot through the front door he thought he heard a strange noise from the sky, almost sounded like a chuckling noise.

"Oh, No! Don’t say my ears are playing up." It would be just my luck wouldn’t it."

Be careful what you ask for!

© Copyright 2018 Howard Gibbon – all rights reserved

About the Author Howard Gibbon

Howard, who was a student of the late Grand Master Chee Soo for 21 years has been practicing and teaching the Lee Style of Tai Chi and related arts since 1973.

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5 comments
Hazel Durkin says 31st January 2018

Reminds me of a family member so much negative thinking plus
inward never changes but he cannot or does not see it. Very good
story.

Reply
Susan Bird says 26th January 2018

Hi Howard,
Yes,yes,yes! This is a great story. This .parable made me laugh, but, not at the man in the story with his bad luck but that I could see the trap that is so easy to fall into from time to time. Paying attention to our thoughts really is helpful in everyday life and during T’ai Chi practice .It is so easy to forget that our outer experiences reflect our inner thoughts, Thanks Howard for regularly posting such thoughtful teachings.
Kind regards
Sue Bird

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June Davis says 24th January 2018

l am new to Tai Chi and have only attended about 4 sessions.because of my husbands ill health l have not been able to attend for a number of weeks. However l have tried to keep up by following your site.l try to remain positive and would like to progress. Despitethe short time and the little amount of Tai Chi l have learned it has helped me feel relaxed and helped with physical problems also. because we are only human at times it is very easy to think like the man in your blog. l think an inactive mind leads to these thoughts and we should try our best to keep ourselves active and be considerate of other people. Thankyou for your site and blogs. lwant very much to progress with my Tai Chi

Reply
Howard Gibbon says 18th January 2018

Thanks Victor if you have any questions about Tai Chi drop me an email and I will do by best to answer them.

Reply
Victor Charles Denton says 16th January 2018

Master Howard l am or can be the man in the story its taken me a long time to read all the blog it helps me to understand a lot l do Tai _Chi it helps me to calm down thank you master Howard

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