Our Friend the Ego

Our ego can be a dangerous thing.

Now “ego” here simply means

That sense of “I” that gets in our way.

Is it in our genes?

(I don't mean the ego discussed

By the famous Sigmund Freud;

All of that psychological jargon

I clearly want to avoid.)

The ego that I am talking about

Is the one that loves to believe

That the WHOLE world REVOLVES around it--

That likes not to give but receive.

It’s the same ego that feeds our impatience,

When we fail to see

Our actions reflecting the attitude,

"Hey, it’s all about ME?”

Our ego, too, can fan our temper

When incidents upset us,

And when we feel paranoid

That someone is out to get us.

If people cut us off on the highway,

The ego gets satisfaction

From watching us get back at them

With a stupid knee-jerk reaction.

Our friend the ego—quite insecure—

Loves retribution,

And if it's insulted, getting even

Is its favorite solution.

The poor ego is devastated

When it feels major rejection;

And men’s egos are destroyed

When they can’t get an erection.

If we can somehow let go of our ego

And try to take life as it comes,

We’ll encounter much less stress

And chew on fewer Tums.

Or we will find that conquering our ego

Provides us the consolation

Of truly appreciating our lives

With much less medication.

(7-21-14) By Bob B