“I must be crazy to
be in a loony bin like this.” McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
I’ve never seen
the movie, but this quote could have been pulled from my own head. It’s one of
those lines that cuts through the stress of everyday life. When things feel
off-the-charts hectic (which happens way more than I’d like it to), it’s easier
to blame it on craziness than admitting that this is actually my life.
My life that
often appears to be happening at warp speed.
My life that isn’t
always what I imagined it to be.
My life that I’ve
been hard at work constructing over the last 40 years (yeah, I turn 40 in two
days, whoohoo).
My life that
sometimes I’d like to deconstruct and reassemble in a completely different
arrangement, preferably with me living in Hawaii and running a cool little
hangout right on the beach.
My life that has
been mostly a wonderful gift.
My life that is
what I make of it.
So, yeah, I’ll
take the crazy, because without it, I probably wouldn’t enjoy the awesome as much.
Coming home to family and laughing with friends (both enhanced by a glass of
wine, by the way) at the end of a wild day brings much comfort and chances to
see what is truly important in life. Many times we run like hamsters in a
wheel.
go-go-go-go
run-run-run-run
faster-faster-faster
And what do we
have to show for it? Nothing. Just like the freakin’ hamster. Sure, our thighs
look great from all that running, but we haven’t really accomplished anything that
means something to anybody.
This fourth of
July, take a moment to breathe. To
enjoy. To smell the roses… or burgers on the grill. Make a plan to do something
different with your freedom. There are opportunities all around us to make
small changes that will have big effects on your happiness and quite possibly
the happiness of others.
Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com
