looking for what it all means?

The difficulty of literature is not to write,
but to write what you mean."
-Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850 - 1894.


A few blogs back I copied a verse from Ecclessiates that George Orwell had written in his book "Why I write". He had used the verse as an example of "good writing" and then he wrote a more modern approach to saying the same thing. The Ecclessiates verse really stood out as well written in comparison. On the other hand he made no comment as to whether the meaning of the better verse was something he had any interest in? You have to wonder how someone can identify something as being exceptional as to it's clarity without implying anything to the meaning? Take a closer look at the verse.

I returned , and saw under the sun,

that the race is not to the swift,

nor the battle to the strong,

neither yet bread to the wise,

nor yet riches to men of understanding,

nor yet favour to men of skill;

but time and chance happeneth to them all.

The verse is indeed very well written. It says what it says so very very well. Then on the other hand is what

this verse says, correct? Is it true that here on Earth, under the sun, the efforts of men are dependent on chance and a time for those efforts to really make a difference? It is obvious that many who "stars shine bright" and who have the limelight are no better or wiser than many who do not. It is clear that some luck and timing make a lot of difference. On the other hand so many define their journey through life as part of a "plan". Trials are part of the plan. Setbacks yet part of the plan. So what about time and chance?

Not that I expect to solve the question but I did put the question to a good friend the other day. I was writing out a Christmas card and I figured why not ask what he thought about this scripture. I put the verse in the card with a note and an inquiry regarding his opinion. I know he will write back and it will be of interest when he does. I just asked what he thought of the verse. I wondered if that to him would be like asking, "what about the time and chance vs's "the plan" we all feel a part of or at least many do".

“I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong”

-Benjamin Franklin, 1706 -1790.

Based on the quote by Franklin I would suspect that he would come down on the side of "a plan" rather than feeling the time and chance rendered the 100 failures of no worth.

“In the depths of winter I finally learned

there was in me an invincible summer."

-Albert Camus, 1913 – 1957

It looks like Camus figured there was a plan since his challenges labeled as "depths of winter" seemed to prove something of worth to him.

So it all may be good

per chance