Arena for the Ego

From the Ellis Deck, the Five of Rods; from the Brownies Oracle, "Connection:"

          I rather like the phrase Ellis uses for this card: arena for the ego. People train, study and practice, but when they go forth into the world, they find other people who are just as motivated as they are. They all have different perspectives, opinions and ideas about how things should be done, which is what can cause problems. In such a battleground, the reason why they are there doing the work they've chosen seems to get lost. Which leads to the Connection card with the broken bridge. It made me think of the great flood of '94 here that covered an area the combined size of Rhode Island and Massachusetts and caused great loss. In the midst of it, neighbors who had rarely spoken were helping each other, strangers with boats were rescuing people and pets, and churches with little previous community outreach were opening shelters and providing food. Age, race, religion and politics didn't matter anymore, but saving our city and the people in it did. I recently heard a quote (but can't remember who said it): No one sees the world more clearly than the convalescent. Why must we lose much or experience pain before we remember what is important? And for me that is the greatest lesson in these cards; I can stand up for myself but I shouldn't forget the ethical and moral foundation I stand on.