The Second

The great thing about aphorisms, proverbs and sayings is they so often turn out to be right.   Of course they also tend to have something of an iridescent effect: looked at one way they can mean one thing; looked at another they seem to mean the near opposite.   Take for example the saying, “Can a leopard change his spots?”   You’ll hear this when a habitually bad actor repeats his bad behavior in the face of a second chance.   But then we all know of examples of people who have, indeed, reformed their bad behavior into a more upright life.   So, would we say of them, “See, these leopards did change their spots!” The nagging sentiment at the bottom of this particular saying challenges those of us who really want to lead good lives.   We, if we’re honest, know that we are not as morally upright as we aspire to be—we all slip up, we all cling to another saying, “nobody’s perfect.”   Although a leopard certainly cannot change his spots into stripes...

The title of this blog was chosen for several reasons, the most immediate being due to my taking up blogging as a discipline for the second time.   But as soon as the name suggested itself several overtones folded in quickly on top of the first.   Here are many variants: 1.        A second time through, as in repeating something but with a fresh approach 2.        A second chance, as in forgiveness and repentance following sin, or even outright failure. 3.        A second, as in the 60 th part of a minute 4.        Second born traits – I’m a second born, and that has surprising explanatory power 5.        To second, meaning to speak up in support for a motion 6.        Seconds, as in going back for more after the first helping of yummy food has been devoured Each carries a the...