And Then What Happened?

When my daughters were young (never mind how long ago that was nevermindnevermind), there were some movies that had to be carefully previewed before screening for family. No, not for excessive violence or sexual content, although that of course. It's just that some stories could have a negative impact on young  sensibilities: when Romeo and Juliet die, when Laurel and Hardy have difficulty getting that piano up the stairs, when that alligator stalked Kermit in the first movie (you remember, during the song Rainbow Connection). Otherwise, there would be tears and cries of "It wasn't supposed to end that way!"
Yes, as they grew older and were able to face the ups and downs of life, they were better able to handle Shakespeare and the Muppets. But we seem to have a sizable portion of the population that have difficulty with things not turning out the way they wanted them to, they don't get what they want, the dream turns out not to be real after all. And stomping collective feet or holding collective breath does not have the results they seem to expect. They try, anyway: a lot of elected representatives seem to be having the political equivalent of a temper tantrum.
Growing up means accepting the fact that things do not always turn out the way we expect. (Exhibit A: Class reunions. That guy or that gal chosen Most Likely to Succeed, uh, didn't.) Not only accepting that fact, but knowing what to do about it.
How many of us still look back to halcyon days when Life Was Good? (For some of us, that was longer ago than others.) And we suspect anything that might smack of today (or even, heaven forfend, tomorrow?) We make vainglorious attempts to turn back that clock, to make it as it never was except in our memory. Of course, that ideal when everyone was doing what we expected- nothing more-is not only unrealistic but also unattainable.
We need to stop trying to change the future into our past, to rewrite history that is yet unwritten. So our political point of view is not accepted by consensus, our faith is not in fact universal, our ethic/racial/sexual orientation is not deferred to as superior? So what?
It does not work to cry, "It shouldn't be that way!" Or to repress any alternative result than the one we want.
So life gave us lemons... Now how does that old saying end?