APAD: Paddle your own canoe
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)
Meaning:
To be independent and take care of your own affairs
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Similar to 'every tub must sit on its own bottom,' the imperative appeals to a
sense of moral ethic. To be independent is what young people strive to do.
Nothing wrong with that.
As one grows older, however, having been there and done that, he might see the
other side of the coin: one's canoe is really carried by the tide more than
one's own might. He starts to take less pride in or blame for his own effort and
see how awesome the whole picture is.
And even though it all went wrong,
I stand before the Lord of Song,
with nothing on my tongue,
but Hallelujah!
- Leonard Cohen