I have the distinct ability to turn anything, no matter how trivial, into a life lesson. Read this post and dare to tell me differently. Plus, it may just help you navigate this whole life thing.
Several years ago, I decided to treat myself to a day of shopping. Before heading out, I glanced down at my brand new white sneakers, which gleamed back at me. This was going to be a serious shopping day, and heels were completely out of the question. I was on a mission.
It was a beautiful fall day with technicolor leaves and the perfect breeze. What could go wrong? Little did I know that I was about to step into some crap that I never saw coming.
No. Really. I stepped into some crap that I never saw coming.
The first hint that something was awry was when I noticed leaves stuck to the bottom of my just-moments-ago pristine sneakers. When I finally figured out that an adhesive was helping out, I took to vigorously scraping the bottom of my shoe against the edge of the curb. I prayed that the adhesive was mud, but the stench soon revealed otherwise.
I spent the next half hour trying to rid my shoe of the remnants. Of all the footwear I owned, those sneakers had the deepest treads. After much effort, and a package of handi-wipes, I was able to remove 98 percent of the matter.
Finally able to proceed (and yes, I washed my hands thoroughly), I got into my car. During my trip, I became acutely aware of an unpleasant odor in the air. The 2 percent residue was alive and kicking. I promptly rolled down my windows to get some fresh air.
This helped until the garbage truck appeared in front of me. Tried as I might, I was unable to pass it. I had to pick between the stench from outside or suffocation by shoe. I unhappily chose the trash.
When I finally reached my destination, I was paranoid that people would be able to smell what had become "my crap" as I walked by them. I didn't receive any funny looks, but it was on my mind the whole time. Shopping, that day, was hardly a carefree experience.
Despite the inconvenience, I had to laugh at myself. Long story short, the situation was later resolved with latex gloves, bleach, a little Comet and a toothbrush, which was immediately discarded after use.
At this point, you're probably asking yourself about the life lesson. Here it goes.
Sometimes in life, crap comes your way. You can run from it, you can try to cover it up, but the stench is still there. Even if no one else notices, you know and that's more than enough to deal with.
You can wait it out in hopes that its unpleasant nature will subside, but every so often, it will remind you that it's still around.
And sometimes, when you don't deal with your crap, life presents you with additional trash to compound the problem. The only way to rid yourself of your crap, is to do the work required and dig deep into the crevices where traces of your crap remain. It may be appalling, infuriating, and downright degrading, but it is the only way to free yourself.
Bottom line. Deal with your crap, because sh*t happens.