At some point in life, out of the blue it will hit you, some harder than others (the older you are when it happens, the more painful it will likely be), that you just can’t have it all in life. Slowly but surely, the aftermath of including the word “compromise” in your vocabulary will begin to manifest. There will be plenty grimacing, a good chance of some tantrum-throwing and possible enraged torrents of tears and blind fury.
My ah-ha moment was when I was 5. My brilliantly loving mother had a sudden spurt of inspiration and decided that cheese all by itself would make a nutritious breakfast. Packed with hearty calcium alright, but didn’t score too high on taste or wholesomeness. She bought these double-slice packs and rationed a slice for me before I skittered off to school each morning. I remember gagging and sputtering one morning until I found my slice of cheese its proper burial ground - in the toilet. The spring in my steps was back as I skipped off to report dutifully to my mom the unfortunate demise of my breakfast. I had to scale back on my giddiness to show some remorse and somberness, may its cheesiness rest in peace. Mom was unfazed, like all hard-core moms when facing-off with up-to-no-good rascals, calmly but with indisputable authority, she said, “there are two slices in a pack; you puked up the first one, now finish the second.” I knew better than to argue.
From that day on, I knew what “compromise” meant: To wash down your share of food no matter how unpalatable it may be less you’re force-fed whatever it is you regurgitate; to do your homework and practice your violin first thing when you get home less you are removed from the living room to do what you’re supposed to do just when the clock strikes 4 and your favorite cartoon is on; to eat your fruits and vegetables even free of parental duress less you intend to plant yourself atop a toilet for many painful hours to come; to uproot from your comfort zone and fly 11,000 miles for a fabulous job in a foreign land that will hopefully jumpstart your marketing career, but at the expense of parting with family and friends and enduring all the isolation and loneliness a suburban life has to offer.
Feel it now? The full blow of “compromise”, some, unfortunately falls well below the belt. If you’re still savoring your bliss of ignorance, brace yourself. Because the blow will come, and it will knock the socks right off your feet when it does.
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