Another Door

　　When I come across a good essay in reading newspapers, I am often inclined to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the opposite side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to keep in good health, or advice about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front essay, the opposite one is bound to suffer damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text without the subject. As a result, the scissors would stay before they start, or halfway done when I find out the regretful consequence that inevitably causes my repentance.

　　Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both deserving your attention. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be given up. But you know the future is unpredictable-the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left behind. Thus you are caught in a fix and feel sad. How come that nice opportunities and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once. It may happen that your life changes dramatically on your preference of one alternative to the other.

　　In fact that is what life is like: we are often faced with the two opposite aspects of a thing which are both desirable like newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only after we are engaged in another. The former may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I still remember a philosopher's remarks: "When one door shuts, another opens in life." So a casual or passive choice may not be a bad one.

　　Whatever we do in our lifetime, wherever life's storm tosses us, there must be something we can achieve, some shore we can land, that opens up new vistas to us. Don't forget God always keeps an alternative door open for every one. While the front door is closed, there must be another open for you.

　　平日读报,看到一篇好文章时,总有把它剪下来的欲望。然而有时拿起剪子的时候，才发现背面的文章也很有意思，或是教你如何养生，或是关照你如何做人处事。只要你剪下了正面的文章，这背面的文章就要受到损伤，或是只剩下半块，或是缺了文章的题目。常常因舍不得反而弄得无法再下剪子。后悔和遗憾更是在所难免。

　　有时你在一个时间段里，想到两件事情可做，两件事都是好事。然而时间和精力只能使你割舍一件，或留在今后再做。但你知道，那今后的条件和未知的变化，不一定还能使你完成后一件事。于是，你往往处在十分忧郁的状况中。甚至奇怪，怎么这么好的机会和想法都赶在了一个点上。有时你真是因为选择了这一样而放弃了那一样，因此彻底改变了你的人生。

　　其实生活就是这样，就像剪报一样，有时一件事的正反两面都是比较完美的，而我们又总是在关注一件事时才发现了另一件事。于是我们常常被绊住，闹得举棋不定。记得一位哲学家说过："当一扇门关闭的时候，生活会为你开启另一扇门。"有时无意与被动的选择并不一定就是太坏的。

　　人生在世无论做什么，无论生活的浪涛把我们抛向哪一方，其实都有我们的风景与可为之处。别忘了，上苍随时都在为我们准备着另一扇门。当你的大门关闭时，另一扇大门就一定会为你敞开。