Has It All Been Said Before?

It was a dark and stormy night… Oh yeah, that intro has been used before. Last week, on a cold and drizzly day, I was thinking how great it was to be retired, and able to sit in my cozy home, crocheting, while binge watching “The Crown.” I was content. At least I thought I was. Always ready to shift into self-doubt mode, I immediately questioned my contentment, and wondered if I was actually complacent. I continued to wonder, wondering how similar, and/or, dissimilar were contentment and complacency. I was a real Wonder Woman.

I decided at that moment to examine the difference(s) between contentment and complacency in this week’s blog post. Despite my feelings of self-doubt, I felt insightful and discerning. I felt that I had realized a subtlety that undermined contentment and all of its positive connotations by recognizing the similarities to complacency and all of its negative connotations. Today, in preparation for writing, I thought I would Google “content” and “complacent” and what should pop-up, but “content vs. complacent.” I proceeded with the search, and found that MANY had recognized and examined the similarities and dissimilarities before I had (some even before I was born).

It’s difficult to be innovative and inspired when it’s all been said before. Maybe I should get up earlier. Perhaps I should be content with my complacency (as long as the weather is bad and there are more episodes of “The Crown”).

I finished the afghan I was crocheting while watching “The Crown” and avoiding the inclement weather that dominated the out-of-doors. I’m pretty satisfied with it. So, if to be content is to be happy or satisfied, I’m content. This is good. Since I am the one who is satisfied with it, I guess I am self-satisfied, and therefore, complacent. This is not good. I am safe in my cozy home with a newly-crocheted afghan to keep me warm, so I must be contentedly complacent. Wait a minute; if I am filled with self-doubt, can I be self-satisfied? If I am not self-satisfied, that just leaves satisfied, which means I am content. Whew, that was a close one. Life is good!