Can anybody tell me what exactly, if anything, is perfect?  When you stop to look around at all you see in the world, how many things truly qualify as perfect? 

 

I understand and respect the notion of striving for perfection, especially when it comes to mastering a difficult piece of music, striking the center of a target in archery/artillery/pub darts, etc. or hitting the light just right for that once-in-a-lifetime photo … and on and on.  Perfection is a noble goal, but can it ever really be achieved?  All throughout time people have sought excellence in areas as varied as gymnastics, ballet, sculpture, cooking and I admire those that push the ever-changing boundaries of perfect scores and perfect performances, continually challenging our concept of what is best.

To me, striving for perfection is a great and noble thing, especially in the realm of sports or in the arts, but on a day-to-day basis in the real world, one heartbeat to the next – expecting perfection is lunacy.  Absolute insanity, which I believe could qualify having a person properly fitted for a straightjacket.

 

For example, I have watched people close to me spend their lives and hard–earned fortunes seeking the holy grail of perfection.  Decades of searching for the fountain of youth through plastic surgery, endless preoccupation with maintaining a youthful looking body through health-endangering diets, always on the hunt for a better house/car/vacation or making people expendable in the quest of the ultimate husband/wife/friend/mistress who suits their every mood or personality quirk – these people have never understood that they cannot buy the flawless quality that they seek in all things.  That old phrase about money not buying happiness really has nothing to do with happiness, it has to do with contentment and contentment cannot be bought, it must come as a result of acceptance.

While the quest for all that is perfect is admirable, there is something to be said about the tremendous value of accepting a thing, peron or moment as good enough.  Contentment often comes through the act of acceptance.

 

Sometimes, the greatest beauty to be found in the world comes about as the result of a flaw or imperfection and our acceptance of that.  There are unusual girls who have rocked the fashion world by breaking the mold of previously perceived beauty; the irregular rhythm of a musician who breaks old school rules to create a new and exciting sound; newly uncovered species of flora and fauna that take our breath away with their strange and exotic images.

 

I may have great respect for those that shoot for the starry skies of perfection, but I have even deeper love and appreciation for those who have the phrase, “That’ll do” in their hearts.