If one had one’s druthers

In Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, Huck says to Tom "Any way you druther have it, that is the way I druther have it,". And Tom says in response, "There ain't any druthers about it, Huck; nobody said anything about druthers." The word druther is an informal variant of ‘would rather’. And Tom creates a plural noun out of it thereby giving the word ‘druthers’, a connotation of free choice. Nevertheless, these words from Mark Twain make me wonder if one has one’s druthers and what can one do about them.

If you had your druthers or free choice, you could spend quality time with loved ones, explore the globe, and have some adventure, or you could bury yourself in books. You could get creative, write or sketch, solve a problem, or master a skill. Any of these options or a mix of two or more could really hit the spot. The outcome isn’t definite but cooling your heels doesn’t pay either.

There are other choices that I’d like to mull over. I always think I’m right and those who aren’t seasoned to think the same way I do must be a dull-witted plodder. Why not? Surely nobody fancies being wrong and behind closed doors, we all grapple with the belief that we’re above others in some way. But I’m here to assert that there is a more winsome choice than being right. To be kind. I feel the idea of kindness is quite a buy than seeking to be right.

There is a brilliant quote by the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald that says, “To be kind is more important than to be right. Many times, what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a special heart that listens.” This quotation always puts some spirit into me. I druther hope these words gently greet you and your special heart.

It’s so easy to cling to the snug and comfortable routine, but what matters is that you at least attempt to try. The question is, are you going to leave a crossroads when you have your druthers to live a more heartening life?