I'm a woman of simple pleasures. Running water, electricity and a flushing toilet. I'm a big fan of all three. Only one of them brings out the devil in me when it's not working properly.
The flushing toilet.
Feel my pain, if you will. Using the toilet, the throne or whichever name you call it is an experience meant for only one person at a time. It's private, quiet and can be a good time to just sit and think (unless you're a mom - sorry moms!).
When you are finished there is a lever you press down that takes all your internal stuff away. It's like watching TV. We all do it. We stand over the throne, watch it spin around, watch it go down into the magic hole where it disappears and then we leave, knowing our little secret will remain a secret.
This is what I was thinking when my accomplishment (let's be honest - sometimes we are very proud of what we've made) vanished into the secret zone. And yet....I wasn't sure if it had really made the "Road Less Traveled" - M. Scott Peck.
Yes, I should have walked away. I should have let it be and not been overly curious. But I couldn't help myself. I had to give that lever one more push down just to be sure.
The word "regret" came to my mind as soon as the water began to rise very quickly. It was as if the clog took on it's own revenge and was now boss. The plunger was no match. It kept folding up and every time it did water splashed on the floor.
Not a little splash of water but a wave of water. I regained control of the plunger and gently coaxed the clog to push through. WHOOSH! It cleared itself out.
After cleaning the floor and reflecting on this little experience, I thought about how this is so similar to panic and anxiety. Hear me out.
There's something I don't see that usually triggers my panic and/or anxiety. It's lurking but I don't know it's there. Even if I suspect it's there I don't have confirmation that it will be a problem.
When it surfaces, it creates other problems including a reaction to the initial trigger. Now I've got a whirlwind of stuff swirling around me and I feel out of control. What do I do?
I grab my plunger (phone a friend, do some writing, distract myself, go for a walk, etc.). If it doesn't work the first time, I change it. I keep changing it until I find something that works.
Eventually, I will be settled down. I will no longer be breathing in short breaths. I will no longer have sweaty hands. I will be able to ask for help and receive what it is I need.
It's okay to flush the toilet.
