Monday, October 17, 2011

Push Pause.

There is a crosswalk in the middle of town that no one stops for. There can be people waiting there for a good ten minutes to cross while cars rush by in their hast.

There is a four way stop less than a mile up the road, near a group of schools, where no one waits for their turn. If there is a shortcut or a small window of opportunity...they will take it.

Many fly through yellow lights when they know they won't make it through before it turns red.

Many cut in front of people when they KNOW the other person will have to step heavily on their brakes to allow them access.

What has happened to us?

It is like we all are flung out of a slingshots as soon as we rise in the morning and we can't stop the trajectory of our flights.

We are flying through life out of control, with our mouths flung open and with muffled screams unavoidably coming from our throats. Our eyes sting from the wind, so much so, we have lost sight of what is important. Is it no wonder when diabetes is thrown into the mix we become flying lunatics?

One small thing. It only takes one small thing to give that slingshot enough power to fling us out of the stratosphere.

* One high blood sugar that came out of left field.

* One night when you catch a low you weren't even planning on checking for.

* One day when you realize your child's pump is out of insulin.

* One second when you realize you forgot to order supplies.

* One minute when you remember you didn't have your child check their sugar before they began eating dinner.

There is a thousand scenarios...and only one problem. We aren't keeping our feet on the ground. We are running our lives in fast forward.

We need the presence of mind sometimes to just push pause.

Pause and stop the madness. Our brains are fickle. They like to get caught up in the chaos. They like to bring things to the next level, and then the next, and then to the next...

Our brains like to THINK about everything!

They like to ANALYZE everything!

They like to WORRY about everything!

We need to stop the madness and push pause.

How can we do that?

I've been thinking of ways all morning. You see, last week I was shot out of a cannon and have just only today realized I didn't consciously step up and do something to stop the madness. I let the strength of the TNT of life take me on the dangerous flight. A ride that had me flailing my arms and left me with the feeling that I have lost control over all that is good.

'Cause when you are flying through the air without anything to keep you grounded...the only feeling one is left with is despair.

And that is where I was. Too much going on for me to take the time to look for that parachute that could get me back to earth.

But today, as I was driving home from dropping off the boys, I did something crazy.

I slowed down.

I turned off the radio.

I sat in silence and watched the world race around me and I realized...I could have stopped it.

I just needed to press pause.

What would pressing pause look like for you? For me it was finding some silence.

For me it might even look like a long bath. Or a good book.

Things that I don't allow myself the pleasure of slowing down for. Things that I say to myself won't make that much of a difference because it won't actually take the troubles away. Sure, maybe they won't...but they will give me the time I need to rediscover all that is good in my life. And not surprisingly, that isn't a hard thing to do. The good FAR FAR FAR outweighs the bad.

I just needed to press pause for 10 minutes to find it.

The video below doesn't have much to do with this post, but I thought about it as I was writing. I take so much for granted, and I think it has a lot to do with my frustrations and letting things get to me. Perspective is everything...



11 comments:

  1. Priceless video... so true. How many times have I grumbled about how long it takes for the number to pop up on the ketone meter?

    It is especially hard as a mother of small children to find that pause button, because they are go, go, go all the time!

    But as Ferris Bueller once said, "life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look aound once in awhile, you could miss it."

    (how sad that I didn't even have to google that).

    Anyway, I am intent on not missing out on these days. I'm trying to not get caught up in the craziness of life and just enjoy the "now" with my wonderful kids.

    Thanks for this post Meri!

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  2. Meri, this is a really important post. You are so very right about how we live these days. And this man in the video is so great! Who is he? I love him!
    A friend told me recently that many poeple that meditate sit down at 9pm to do it. I have been trying to sit still for just five minutes (on any day I can remember to do so!) at 9pm and just be. I even put the knitting down. Just five minutes. And on the days I have managed it I have felt so blessed in my life.
    Let us D-parents all try it and see if it makes a difference!
    I love your perspective on it all. xxx

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  3. You are such an amazing writer Meri! I needed to read this post today. I laughed out loud at the "flying lunatics"! But I too have found myself "flailing my arms" and feeling very much "out of control" recently. I'm off to look for my pause button right now. Thanks for a great post!!

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  4. Desperately need to push pause around here. Thanks for the reminder!

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  5. I so needed this right now. Time to press pause for me. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. My issue? I press pause but then I rewind. I'm a glutton for punishment I swear!


    Great post lady :)

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  7. That video is one of my favorites Meri.

    And...

    This post rings so true.

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  8. Okay...I'm totally cracking up at the video!!!

    But, seriously, you are SO right.

    It seems like our lives are constantly spent immersed in technology.

    We all need a pause.

    Thank you for the inspiration. I needed it tonight.

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  9. Perfect timing on this post, Meri. Apparently someone ran over a two-year-old at a market in China and about a dozen people looked at this child and kept walking. Unreal. I have felt totally frazzled these past few weeks and I can't stop sighing. Yesterday I decided to put the brakes on and I did some painting (art, not walls!). It was just the slowing down that I needed. Good idea.

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