I learned the grass is always greener on the other side of the street if you are wearing rose-colored glasses when you look in that direction.
What a bizarre experience. I was able to observe two people long for the position of each other, imagining it to be the solution to most or all of their problems, in the face of evidence to the contrary and/or a significant lack of evidence.
I was calling this a Frog-and-Toad story (they swept each others’ leaves – who remembers?) but it’s not really the same plot. But let’s use their names anyway. I’m pretty sure they won’t mind.
Frog wanted what Toad had. Imagined it to be so different, and in just the ways that would make Frog happy. None of the same problems would exist. Where Frog didn’t know the details, she just made them up! She’s had a lifetime of experience in doing that, so it was easy.
Toad wanted what Frog had, and an opportunity to have it came up. They talked (they aren’t really amphibians, remember, those are just their names for this story). Frog told Toad some facts, some good and some bad. Toad pretty much focused on the good, and told about why she thought being in Frog’s situation would be awesome. While she was at it, she talked what she was leaving.
Frog looked around and said “Wow. That is another way to look at this deal”. Now Frog is happy.
Toad? Stay tuned!
Jane's Lessons Learned 