Chewing Glass
Doing what needs to be done.
Polishing requires abrasion. A refinery requires fire. That seems to be the only way to get the best out of something: to remove the dross.
The flotsam of life is buoyed by our inefficiencies and bad habits. We are forced to gather the pieces of our lives scattered by the wreckage of unforeseen chaos.
Clean up on aisle 10
I once had to remove the retractable glass door of our shower because we needed to prepare for renovations to the main bathroom. When removing the last pane of glass and attempting to place it down in the lapa, it shattered in my hands.
It’s a rather disappointing thing to happen while you’re trying to careful. The act of carrying that pane took about a minute; but I spent the better half of an hour clearing away the glass from the tiles and bricks of the veranda.
It’s been my experience that an accident which lasted a few seconds has required over 7 years of cleaning.
They say “don’t cry over spilled milk.” I accept that crying won’t help the situation, but this stoic response to life’s phenomena fails to understand at least one reason for crying. If we do not let out the bad emotions that overcome us, we tend to bottle them up, never properly processing everything.
“The only way to get disappointed is to have expectations in the first place.”
Some claim you can avoid stark disappointment by not having a plethora of expectations to begin with.
Of course!
You can never be surprised if you don’t venture off the beaten path. You can never have new experiences if you don’t take on an adventure. You can never be heartbroken if you don’t love.
Eat glass and stare into the abyss.
This was the statement Elon Musk made in an interview. He described the process of starting a company. His basic premise is that there are very uncomfortable things you must do while seemingly not really seeing how things will turn out. But if you wanted to build something worthwhile, it had to be done.
Clean up your life off all the shards of glass that cut people underfoot. Don’t let their nakedness to you make them vulnerable to your unresolved issues.
Are we there yet?
I’ve noticed an appeal by Kier Gaines on Instagram that captures an increasingly visible sentiment online: that people should not wait to be “good enough” to deserve love.
It is important to realise that life won’t wait for you while you take time to sort out the skeletons in your closet. It should go without saying that you are worthy of love, care, and belonging, no matter your state.
However, by neglecting your flaws you allow their influence to run rampant in your life. You won’t ever be perfect (not this side of paradise), but you can avoid being any toxic.
At least in my estimation, cleaning up glass is not the same as dreaming of driving a luxury car. Even if you drive a humble jalopy of a personality, clear away the broken glass under the floor mat. You don’t have to be a Ferrari to go to the car wash.
Okay, the metaphor has been extended enough. You are worthy of all the good things in life just as you are. Try to ensure you don’t mess that up. Do the hard work now to produce the best, healthiest life you can enjoy.
Chew that glass
You cannot open doors you if you don’t knock. You cannot find if you don’t seek. You cannot be answered if you don’t ask. Rather do the opposite.
Ask. Seek. Knock.
My car’s rear side window was shattered a few weeks ago. The tempered glass held together while pieces would drop off every time I drove over a speed bump or closed my door. These little judders dislodged the glass bit by bit.
It is advised that you replace a shattered window as soon as possible; in fact, it is imperative to remove the broken window right away. Specks of glass travel into the cavity below the window and fall into the crevices in and near the door. Some fall to the floor and remain underfoot of anyone who sits in the nearest seat.
It’s dangerous to have so many shards hiding away, inevitably causing injury to unsuspecting passengers. You need to remove the window and clear away as much glass as possible. These tiny pieces may even damage car parts and functions in the inner door panel.
Our lesson summary
After (traumatic) incidents, clean up what you can when you can. Leaving these calamities unattended can cause further injury and damage later on.
But take some time to process the negative emotions. They also need to be tended to if you want to move on from the trauma.
There is an apt idiom in English for avoiding vexing pain: “I’d sooner eat glass than (enter more unpleasant task here).”
What about spilled milk?
Once in a while, shed a tear for dropping that lactose goodness. Then grab a cloth and clean it up.
Or, if no one is looking, slurp it up from the counter. No harm, no foul!
