Ode to the Second Guess

no. 3 In the Trilogy: Odes to Ordinary Things

I have made a decision.

Naturally, this is when the second guess arrives.

Not before the decision.

That would be helpful.

No, the second guess waits politely until I have committed to a direction and then appears in the doorway carrying several alternative possibilities.

"Have we considered that this is a terrible mistake?"

It raises some interesting points.

It always does.

For years, I assumed the second guess was an enemy.

A sign of weakness.

Evidence that I lacked confidence.

Now I'm not so sure.

The second guess has, on occasion, saved me from genuine disasters.

It has also convinced me to worry about things that never happened.

Its track record is mixed.

These days, I try to think of the second guess less as a prophet and more as an overly enthusiastic committee member.

It deserves a hearing.

Not the final vote.

blurry, dotted thought lines ... much like those in my mind