Here is one for the control freaks among us, yours truly included:
For the fourth time since we moved to The Rock (we actually live on top of a rock) we were left in the dark!
We and over half a million other households in and around Vancouver were affected by massive power failure during the previous weekend!
In most First World countries power lines are placed into the ground, away from falling trees or debris. Not so in our part of Canada. Power lines are running above the ground; in between and under trees. Every so often trees fall onto the lines to make us appreciate the small things in life. I am pretty sure they do that on purpose to get us off netflix, off our electronic devices and let us go to bed early!
Instead of starring at our screens we prepared and ate our dinner in candle light; we had fun conversations with your boys, listened to a house concerto performed by your children and enjoyed pictionary galore.
There is one Mother we can’t mess with. Her name is Mother Nature!
Just like our real mom she puts us back into our place. A place where we can only control ourselves, our behaviour, our attitude towards stuff (in this case the power cut) and being grateful (and thankful) for what we have!
For example, a fridge full of goodies or enough candles to keep the games going.
A guitar, a piano, a few teenagers with their beautiful voices and nimble fingers to play the instruments! A beautiful, safe, warm’n cozy home.
Being cool, calm and so collected during a ‘crisis’ is new to me:
I ‘m a recovered control freak!
I love the idea of telling others what to do, how and when to do it. I love the thought of controlling the environment around me. I actually thought I could control it all, the planes taking off and landing on time, the garbage collected on time, guests flogging into my coffee shop, fitness enthusiasts lining up in front of the aerobics studio, payments received on time, deliveries actually delivered, telling my boys how to dress, finding the right pair of shoes at the right price… the list goes on and on!
If things didn’t work out the way I imagined them it was a big mayhem- Oh how I can bitch about them. Worry about them, getting frustrated and angry.
That was then- this is today:
Today I am only controlling me , myself and I. Over the course of my past decades I realized it’s just not worth to fight and stress over things I don’t have direct control over, like a cancelled flight or a broken ( favourite!!!) plate.
If I wanted to keep the worry lines and wrinkles on my face in bay I needed to relax. If I wanted to have a good night sleep I needed to let go of wanting to fix things. If I wanted to live an ulcer free, happy, healthy life I needed to go with the flow!
Screaming, yelling, tossing and turning is great to let go off steam. At the end of the day it hasn’t changed anything- apart from having less steam! Why worry about my electricity? BC Hydro is in charge, not me.
One of the most fruitless topics to worry about is the weather. Talking about it is a fun conversation starter. Worrying or stressing about it is not! Until we have a direct line to the Weather Goddess and her control dials, my tip is to be prepared for the worst case scenario. So stock up on candles and always have enough food in the pantry!
The storm made me postpone our much anticipated Adventure Day. Muddy, slippery grounds can be adventurous for sure. They are also dangerous!
A powerless weekend for us recovering control freaks is such a fantastic opportunity to test our attitude! How relaxed are we? How well are we coping? So, thank you Mother Nature! Thank you for showing us who really is in control here! I know for sure, this mother is not! Let me have a piece of cake and another cappuccino! At least I can control my calorie intake!
Are you a recovered control freak? Or are you still in controlling mode? Either way is fine…..remember the good night sleep though!
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