Heather HymasEver have one of those days? One of those days when everything just seems to go wrong? It starts out with something bordering on just unpleasant, but then seems no matter what you do; it just goes from bad, to worse, to homicidal. “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” Who was this Damn Murphy and how did he achieve the authority to make law?
Getting up two hours earlier than usual is not a great way to have to start the day. One cannot go to bed early enough, EVER (in my opinion), to have to get up at 4:40 a.m., but it becomes even more catastrophic when you wake up at one o’clock and can’t go back to sleep for yet another hour and a half. Groggy, foggy headed, and puffy-eyed I stumble to the kitchen to get some coffee. After two cups and half a chocolate bar, I believe, I can now safely drive my daughter to school and back without killing anyone.
Mission accomplished, I am back home now and have all this extra time. I can actually get something done FOR ME before I have to leave for work (insert reluctantly hopeful grin). Sadly, NO–that is not what happens.
Without going into the gory details, my morning went from unclogging the toilet, which left me unable to eat any breakfast, to gasping for air as I look out my bedroom window to see the side lawn completely covered with boxes, wrappers, containers, and bags from the recycling I had left in the kitchen the night before and forgot to take out. Obviously, the dogs thought it was a fun toy or there was a great snack inside. Either way it gives a new meaning to the words picnic or dog party. A fun project to look forward to after work (insert heavy sigh).
So now, hungry and jittery, after three cups of coffee and no breakfast, I have to scramble to even get out the door on time. As I’m grabbing my stuff, I notice that “someone” left a huge jar of pickles sitting on the coffee table. Really? I grab the jar and race through the kitchen to put it away when I am suddenly blindsided by the old fat dog (who I am sure was just coming to tell me goodbye, and that it was not her who had drug all the recycling out on the lawn) which makes me miss a step and trip.
It was one of those surreal moments when you can see something happening and you are in slow motion reaching out to stop it, but alas you know there’s nothing you can do to avoid the impending outcome. Crash! An entire kitchen covered with shards of glass and pickle juice. Thanks Murphy, you smug bastard. As I stood there looking at my surroundings, dumbfounded, (slowly shaking head – heavier sigh) all I could do was shrug and trudge with heavy feet defeated out the door.
That was just my morning. I could go on to tell you about what happened at work, and the rest of that day, but the point is that once Murphy’s law has been put into action there’s no way to stop it. You just have to ride it out until it leaves you broken, bleeding, and battered–devoid of any energy and all hope. It is all about allowing, acceptance, and the promise of a new day.
Writing a column in the Wellness Section is easy when you are constantly and continually trying to better yourself. Right? When you’ve had all these life experiences, and at my age believe me I’ve had “many”. I’ve experienced drug addiction, alcoholism, moving, death, suicide, children, stepchildren, ex-wives, going to school, teaching school, changing careers, having dreams, losing dreams, starting over, etc… I could go on, but you get the point.
I have had a million amazing, precious, and beautiful moments. I have made even a million more amazing memories that fill my heart with love and joy, but I’ve also had thousands of desperately hard, heartbreaking, and painful learning experiences. If one really pays attention when all these things are going on (and/or is willing to look at them in retrospect), you can learn a myriad of lessons about how to create the life you want for yourself and how to not make the same mistakes over and over, how to share these experiences, and how to help others.
Wellness isn’t about being perfect. Wellness isn’t about always being positive, and/or always doing the right thing. Wellness is about acceptance. Acceptance of what has happened, and acceptance of what may be happening right now. We are not always going to have good days. We are not always going to be happy. Bad stuff happens. Things do not go as planned. Murphy and his evil law might surround you for a day and pop your pink bubble of positivity, leaving you unprotected to the harsh elements of life. Wellness is about learning, it is about being honest, and sometimes it is about just surviving. It is about being willing to look Murphy square in the eye and say, “Bring it on, I got this!”
I’ve mentioned in other columns that your life’s purpose might need to adapt from time to time, and it is not important what others choose as their life purpose, because it will be different from mine, and it will change. It is just important that you have a purpose (insert heartfelt smile) and live authentically.
Today, my life’s purpose was just to survive, and literally to not kill anyone. Today was the day where everything went wrong (shaking head with intense solemn glare). We all have those days. Sometime you will have one of those days, and you might not be able to turn it around, to change your perspective, to look on the bright side, or to find the silver lining, and that’s okay. It’s okay to have a bad day once in a while. Accept it and move on. Tomorrow is waiting with all its sunshine, laughter, and easy-going fun. It will come. Sleep. Dream. Believe.
But, if you see that smug bastard Murphy, get his number for me. I have a few choice words for him, and a shattered pickle jar I’d like to return.
Heather Hymas has been a teacher in one form or another for the past 14 years. She has taught fourth grade, intermediate school, and college English, both at Dixie State University and Southern Utah University. She currently works as a teacher in a residential treatment center for troubled youth. She has a B.S. in elementary education, a master’s degree in education, and is currently working on her doctorate. She lives in St. George with her teenage daughter.
