BUCKET standing by
Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019
When we hear the term bucket, or filling our bucket, we most often think bucket-list. Not this time. I’m actually writing about a different bucket. Plastic, holds 1-gallon of anything. Heavy when full.
Things occur to us that we never planned or thought about – until they happen, when suddenly we find ourselves wondering why we haven’t given that more thought or effort.
That happens to me all the time.
Now, to my issue-du-jour.
Actually, it was Friday just passed.
A ‘going down the rabbit hole’ story worth telling.
My day was planned, early rise from a great long sleep, breakfast and newspapers, morning routine, off to the mall for 6 laps, home again and into my well-ordered planned day.
Something happened: someone wasn’t ready for my appointment – said, “Come back in 20 minutes.” As you might guess, not ready then either. I voted with my feet, someone else will get my business – that’s not the story. Not even where the story begins.
I had pulled things out of a bathroom – my walking through stuff that morning was my reminder to wash that floor. With my appointment changed, then cancelled, I had time.
Where was that bucket?
I remembered it was in the storage locker downstairs. I went down to get it, and remembered that I had planned to scrub and wash my parking stall from all the muck of snow and dirt. For that, I would need that bucket, so I moved my vehicle to the carwash stall, got my bucket, mop and big broom and set to work – the bathroom could wait. This whole process would take 20-30 minutes. So I thought …
Well, the folks who have the neighboring stall, Larry and Margaret, came to get in their car – and we realized some of my dirty water had drifted into their stall. I told them I would clean it up. Once they were gone I thought, it seems stingy to just clean one patch, so I moved into clean-two-stalls move – so began a different technique of spilling the water and moving the muck to the drain, I was really motoring. Then, along came Eileen’s daughter and son-in-law to get in her car (the next stall over). We visited for a while, talked about dogs – then they left. You might have guessed – recalculating; now I has a sweep/mop/swish the water plan ~ the three-stall-scenario.
3.5 hours, 1,600 calories burned, back up to my suite – bucket in hand.
That bathroom floor will have to wait.
What is the moral of this story?
Great unexpected work-out, got to meet Larry and Margaret, got to talk about dogs (their golden-retrieved died two months ago so have some shared experiences), my parking stall is clean, I did something for my neighbors – not so much in keeping with the season, but just because they were there, they were dirty, and I was working on my technique…
As for the rest of my day, most of what I planned didn’t get done. Two really important things did get my attention, and they are completed. The Friday pile became the ‘weekend pile’ and life continues.
I had two great conversations with reader/friends, had a note out of the ether from a reader via LinkedIn which touched me.
The day was a quintessential rabbit-hole of perfection. Some work postponed, a blister on my thumb, and a sore lower back. After all that water-hauling and sweeping I expect my bursitis to flare up, but so far just a little soreness.
I could explain this whole side-tracked story as random, as chance, “look, squirrel…,” or as meant-to-be, but that’s not why this unfolded – and not the lesson learned.
I decided to try something I’ve been thinking about lately – for those times when my disagreeable nature encounters a stupid person, or smart person doing something stupid, to not comment, vent, or react in a way that might be more productive – by letting off some steam doing something physical; in this case, washing a bathroom floor.
That floor still needs washing.
I’ll do it soon – I have the bucket standing by, just waiting till someone irritates me with their stupidity, because I am ready!
What’s in your bucket?
Is it full, or not?
Either way, it can be heavy …
Reader feedback:
WOW. Your Dear Santa Musing lifted my spirits and gave me real joy to read. Wonderful phrasing and word-crafting. Inspirational. The Christmas season does have a higher calling – it is more than the birth of Jesus and the gift of giving – it is the HOPE that things can and will get better for each of us, for those we care about, the world and our planet. If we have HOPE and DREAMS we continue to uplifted, motivated and inspired. I wonder if we all joined hands, all of us, each and every one of us, and sent out universal thoughts for peace, well-being, love and abundance, for all, whether we would be able to move the dial in that direction. Exceptional Musing today, Mark. Merry Christmas, RT, White Rock, BC
Mark, I agree completely that we much more greatly need more (the return of) non-material things than material things. Apparently the earth is the richest its ever been in material things, but I don’t like the look of where we are headed. Do you believe in miracles?, LH, Lethbridge, AB
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