There was a morning six months ago where I walked into the women’s bathroom that my office suite shares with several others to find a sticky note taped over the light switch.
It looked a little something like this:
At the time, I did the whole "roll my eyes and carry on" because anyone with common sense would know that the actual solution to getting rid of cockroaches would involve a visit from an exterminator.
A few weeks later, the note disappeared, and that was the end of it.
Or... I thought that was the end of it.
Yesterday, after a week of working from home (thanks to Vacation Bible School last week), I went into the same bathroom expecting the status quo of the five months to have remained intact.
It wasn't.
As I was walking out and back to the office, there was a new note, and that new note looked something like this:
What I wanted to do was write about how funny and ridiculous this entire situation is.
Why hasn't the management company called in an exterminator?
Why are people resorting to taping notes on the wall advising people to leave the light on like that will drive them away?
All the words that will come out when I sit down and start typing are metaphors, though, so you're stuck with a metaphor as a take away.
In this metaphor, the cockroaches are standing in for a problem in your life.
The light switch (and the advice to leave it on) is the quick and easy fix that doesn't actually solve the problem.
Things like darkness and cockroaches do flee from light, it is true, but it doesn't magically make everything right.
You have to be willing to look for the source, and do what is necessary to fix things.
Kill the bugs.
Apologize. Resolve to communicate better. Cut people (or things) out of your life - whatever is necessary and pertains to your situation.
It's not going to be easy, but you'll be much better off in the long run.
P.S. - I'll keep you updated on the note situation. I'm currently restraining myself from adding a note of my own about the lack of logic inherent in the idea that leaving the light on will get rid of the cockroaches.
It looked a little something like this:
At the time, I did the whole "roll my eyes and carry on" because anyone with common sense would know that the actual solution to getting rid of cockroaches would involve a visit from an exterminator.
A few weeks later, the note disappeared, and that was the end of it.
Or... I thought that was the end of it.
Yesterday, after a week of working from home (thanks to Vacation Bible School last week), I went into the same bathroom expecting the status quo of the five months to have remained intact.
It wasn't.
As I was walking out and back to the office, there was a new note, and that new note looked something like this:
 |
| "Turn me off... And my vengeance will be cockroaches." |
What I wanted to do was write about how funny and ridiculous this entire situation is.
Why hasn't the management company called in an exterminator?
Why are people resorting to taping notes on the wall advising people to leave the light on like that will drive them away?
All the words that will come out when I sit down and start typing are metaphors, though, so you're stuck with a metaphor as a take away.
In this metaphor, the cockroaches are standing in for a problem in your life.
The light switch (and the advice to leave it on) is the quick and easy fix that doesn't actually solve the problem.
Things like darkness and cockroaches do flee from light, it is true, but it doesn't magically make everything right.
You have to be willing to look for the source, and do what is necessary to fix things.
Kill the bugs.
Apologize. Resolve to communicate better. Cut people (or things) out of your life - whatever is necessary and pertains to your situation.
It's not going to be easy, but you'll be much better off in the long run.
P.S. - I'll keep you updated on the note situation. I'm currently restraining myself from adding a note of my own about the lack of logic inherent in the idea that leaving the light on will get rid of the cockroaches.
Bring in a single cockroach hotel and put it in the bathroom, then leave a note to leave the light off, so you can exact revenge on the cockroaches. ;p
ReplyDeleteOoooh... should have thought of that. Good call!
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