Really?

For as long as I can remember "good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people".  Karma: a pretty phonetically simple two-syllable word.  But it sure is a complicated belief, concept, idea, or whatever you would call it.

Since birth, my parents have really been big on that Karma idea, especially my dad.  To him, it was always "you have to practice being a good person in order to receive good things in life".  Having this belief instilled in me from birth, I grew up with this belief close to heart and mind likewise.  Never have I questioned this Karma thing.  To me, it was simple: do good things, get good things...do bad things, get bad things.  Simple.

But I've just realized that this Karma thing is not as simple as 1 plus 1 equals 2.  It's not like learning the ABC's or memorizing the names and location of all 50 states.  It's not just reading a novel and laying out literary elements or learning the laws of thermodynamics and applying it.  It's much more complicated and confusing.

Good things don't always happen to good people.  Bad things don't always happen to bad people.  But isn't "good" and "bad" subjective?  Sure, for big crimes like murdering or raping...that's obviously "bad".  But what if...the murderer murdered the person who killed his family?  Would the murderer still be considered a "bad" person?  Or would the murderer be considered a "good" person?

Karma...it was one of the number one things I was taught growing up.  Never have I ever thought of questioning it.  But today, I do.  Do bad people really get punished for their actions?  Do all evil-doers get tortured physically and emotionally until they are bloodily beaten down?  Do all good people get rewarded with a financially stable career and a loving significant other, kids and families? I don't think so...