The Handle or the Blade?

The Handle or the Blade?

by Keith Kareem Williams

Most people are either dying for love or living to run from it. There used to be a middle ground…a balance if you will but somehow, in our modern era, the dividing lines have been lost. What most people have been left with is either the hurt of having loved once and lost or the hunger caused by never having the real thing at all.

As a senior in high school, I had a chemistry teacher that threatened to fail the entire class without mercy or remorse if he had to. We all complained about how unfair it would be for us to have to go to summer school because that meant that we wouldn't graduate on time. He laughed and explained that "fairness" in life was an imaginary concept. He denounced the notion that a perfectly level playing field or perfectly balanced scales existed in any way, shape or form. It seemed harsh at the time to our optimistic young minds but I've grown up since then. It didn't take long being out in the real world to realize that he was 100% right. One day I'll go back and let him know just how right he was….if he's still alive. (It's been many moons since I was in High School.)

When it comes to matters of the heart, things will never be fair or equal. One person will ALWAYS love harder than the other, even if they try not to show it. People hide this at times as a defense mechanism and who can really blame them? There really is a lot at stake and no one wants to become totally lost in someone else's light. The entire situation is as dangerous as a sharpened knife.

Unfortunately, because fairness in the true sense of the word is a myth, someone has to hold the handle and the other person is left holding the blade. This is the conflict that destroys relationships. The person holding the blade knows how vulnerable they are so at times, they will fight to take the handle. Then, there are times when the person holding the handle abuses the advantage they have, leaving deep wounds and scars as a result. Sometimes, people destroy each other by just fighting and shifting positions.

I've lived a little bit so I've learned not to really fear much. If things just happen to work out where I'm the one holding the handle, I promise not to hurt you. I can't stop YOU from dragging your hand away and hurting yourself though. It may just work out in such a way that I'm the one with a firm grip on the knife's blade. I don't mind because, as I just said, I don't fear much. If you decide to pull away, I'll just hold my bloody hand up as I walk away. I don't even mind the scars. They make interesting conversation pieces and add character to a person's life.

One thing I WILL warn though: You should ALWAYS KNOW which side of the knife you're holding…at all times.