Humans are creatures of expectation, and I’m not sure why. Think upon it, dear readers: when was the last time an outcome of anything was exactly what you expected? It’s like vaguely measuring baking ingredients and being surprised when the pie crust doesn’t turn out flaky and perfect.

There is an unfounded, albeit popular, belief that weight is a constant in the universe. If that were true, then when I lose a kilo from chasing my cats out of the kitchen, you gain one from eating that carob birthday cake you made for your dog. Mass is constant, but gravity can alter weight. This is my convoluted, culinary way of saying: don’t be good in order to get good back. Especially not equal good. Huh?

When you are on a cycle of “down”, it’s easy to fall back on happy thoughts of when the cycle was “up”, but life, like the universe, undulates and just plain sucks sometimes for no good or apparent reason. Take it on the chin, dear readers.

Unless you think fairness is your right because you helped a little old lady cross the street, you are going to have to realize it’s not tit for tat. It’s what many cultures call karma, but keep in mind that those self-same cultures also tend to believe in reincarnation, so if karma doesn’t get your pumpkin in this life, cover your squash in the next one. If karma was a real thing, life would be fair. And my rotten old father would not have lived to be 83.

And the concept of karma contradicts a litany of scientific arguments, not to mention anecdotal.

The province in Canada where I live is also home to a hugely talented musician by the name of Joel Plaskett. On his album “Three”, released in 2009, is a song entitled “Through and Through and Through”, and in it he addresses the dichotomy of axioms. Here are some of those lyrics:

“They say that good things come to those who wait
But if you snooze then you lose
So don’t hesitate.”

Joel gets it. And you should, too. If you are a charitable sort when you’re nice and flush, then give to help others less fortunate, but do it from your heart, not from expectations of good karma blessing you when you’re contemplating the sole of your shoe for dinner, not Dover sole. It just doesn’t work that way. What goes around, doesn’t come around. If, against all the laws of physics it does, notice it, appreciate it, and forget about it.

Now, back to your bowl of pancake batter. Be sure to stir gently, because sometimes what goes around, also goes right over the edge.