What in the Dickens is Happening to Me?
Have you ever gotten the feeling that the world is working against you? For example, you feel pretty much ok when you get out of bed; as you go to the kitchen, you notice something that feels out of place, like a tiny pebble might be in the middle of your left foot; you check to make sure. You turn the coffee on as you had loaded it with water and fresh ground coffee last night. A few minutes later, you peek at the coffee maker and quickly realize that coffee is pouring out of the pot; you have forgotten to put an empty pot under the spout! You now have coffee all over the counter. My coffee maker has a carafe-type coffee pot, so you can't see anything on the inside. I know that this day will be a not-normal, somewhat chaotic one; I know it.
A little later on the same day, I'm standing in Target looking for goat milk, which won't trigger my allergies. I look to my right, and a younger woman is staring at the cooler, almost like I am. I chuckle, thinking it's not just us old people; her coffee pot also ran over today. Then I look to the left and see a man my age staring into the cooler with no noticeable movement, not even a twitch. For a moment, I think he is me! It was clear that he had not had his morning coffee. Then I ask the guy stocking the shelves if they will ever have goat's milk again. He looked at me, not cracking a smile, and said; we got rid of all of our goats; too expensive to milk!"
We all know Target never had goats; I would be the first to admit, what a great way to answer a wacky question from a customer. So I quietly walked out of Target, sporting a huge smile, having not bought anything. The day was going to be interesting indeed.
How do you weed out the weirdness on days such as this one? Unfortunately, I have had more than my usual wacky, weird days; when asked, others agree they have had their share. As a result, I've gotten into the habit of purposefully slowing down while finding something to regain my mental balance. Hence the three quotes below. I use each of them, albeit in very different times and settings.
Quote #1:
None of us see things as they are; we see things as we are.
The movie Big Little Lies
Quote #2:
If your paying attention, there is something to learn every day! My Dad, Quentin, would say this frequently.
Quote #3:
"There's a sunrise and a sunset every day, and you can choose to be there for it... you can put yourself in the way of beauty."
In "Wild: From Lost to Found," Cheryl (played by Reese Witherspoon) quotes her mother."
Nearly every day, something is happening that's not normal or a bit wacky, and conversely, as many (or more) beautiful events are happening. The key is where our focus is or isn't.
What is the main culprit, you might ask?
I make mistakes when tired, like the not-so-empty coffee carafe. And sometimes, I'm trying to do too many things at once, not paying full attention to what I'm doing, or often distracted by something. So I love the song by Simon and Garfield titled "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." It's a great reminder to slow down; you're moving too fast!
My last thought is a subtle part of the first quote "None of us see things as they are; we see things as we are." We often hear or see something and think it is not normal, weird, or wacky. Since I messed up the coffee this morning, I'm expecting to find other wacky events; my mind then obliges me and finds or makes them. It's all about the lens we see things through.
I'm confident that by slowing down a bit, asking more questions, and perhaps listening to Simon and Garfunkel, I'll be able to deal with everything that comes my way.
Helping others find their compass." by Gene
Link to:
Simon and Garfield titled "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)."
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