Fits And Starts, Peaks And Plateaus

AFTERNOON:

I started the day thinking about "Peaks and Plateaus, Fits and Starts," although it didn't become a consuming theme for me by any means.

But it's definitely something to think about ... and we probably all do in our own way.

We have those experiences (spiritual, social, personal) that are peak experiences, then things level off. It's like biorhythms.

Peaks and plateaus.

Fits and Starts is a phrase I used to hear. It's one that I know what it means even though I don't know the word origins.

Maybe "fits" is from "doing something." I'm not going to look it up. But it seems like fait, faire, all that is rooted in there somewhere.

I have all kinds of fits. I was thinking of Fits and Starts like when you're trying to start a car that's reluctant to go.

The Fits would be all the preliminary almost-getting-there, false starts, first attempts, aiming at it, trying to get going and do it.

The Starts would be almost like the Fits except with a little more motive power behind them. Like when you're on your way.

If there's some other definition to it, I'd be curious (without having to take five seconds to look it up.)

It seems like the phrase was always used in a way that suggested there wasn't a lot of progress. "He went about it in fits and starts."

Fits and Starts describes a lot of my life, I guess I could admit. About a mile wide and an inch deep in a little bit of everything.

So Peaks and Plateaus goes with that too -- maybe Peaks and Valleys would be the actual truth. But I try to stay UP THERE somewhere.

Even if it's just a plateau. At least your head's still halfway near the clouds. In the valley you have to wait till the clouds come to you.