Gather around boyfriends and girlfriends…settle down and grab a seat. Criss cross applesauce. Shhh….inside voices.
It’s time for a story. Today’s share?
Interpreted by Miss. Caterpillar
That would be me.
Ever feel like you’re walking around with a big “elephant in the room”?
Like in Middle School, when everyone knew you had a crush on Josh. Everyone heard when you farted in gym class. Everyone is staring at your zits. So we thought.
Our insecurities fade dramatically as we mature (amen). But even adults experience this “elephant in the room” effect from time to time. I know I do.
It’s easy to assume everyone knows our insecurities, our shortcomings, our mistakes, our less-thans.
Maybe you’ve gained some weight.
Maybe you’re feeling guilty. You screwed up. You got fired from your job. You lied to a friend to avoid helping them move. You got caught gossiping.
Maybe you had an embarrassing episode. Farted in yoga class, got a little too drunk at the office party or “replied to all” accidentally.
Maybe you had to drop out of school or you live with your parents. You have an eating disorder. Maybe you live paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford nights out with your friends. You’re single and lonely.
You have debt. You’re in a bad relationship. Your car is dirty. Your kid misbehaves at school. You got a bad haircut. You’re wearing that outfit again.
You might think, everyone is judging you as harshly as you’re judging yourself.
*Intermission*
Hold on, Kids! Let’s stop for a moment. As a swimmer, I am absolutely NOT condoning peeing in the pool.
Personally, I don’t care if you do. I’m not scared. (I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’m wading through wee in public pools). But it is definitely NOT okay. Okay? Just sayin’.
(Speaking of Pee….this book has a lot of it.)
The point is…..
If people really though about others as much as we imagine, the world would be a better, more caring place. Most of us are too busy thinking about ourselves!
Your problems? Weaknesses? Mistakes? Hurts?
Chances are people would never notice.
Unless you mention it.
When I feel down and out, I think “Get OVER yourself, girl!”
There is so much more to YOU than your broken bits.
Because JESUS LOVES YOU!
Lots of people do! Missing Pieces and all.
(Yes, even you pool-pottying people.)
*Random* My neighbor just knocked on my door to return the car keys I left outside in the grass while I was reading earlier. I said, “Did you know they were mine or just figure they had to belong to the crazy space cadet in the neighborhood?” Because clearly everyone must think that. Sigh.
- What’s your “elephant?”
- Anyone pool peeing people care to fess up? I dare ya!
- Don’t you want a Rainbow Pony Backpack?
Yes. <3 We are often SO much harder on ourselves than other people are . . . or even God is! He is so eager and ready to forgive and embrace, but we hold onto our junk because we feel we must. (I know that's not where you went in this post . . . but it's a big theme for me recently & I'm seeing it everywhere!)
I LOVE this post! I know I can be wayyy too self absorbed, as if anyone actually cares. Also, I totally want a rainbow pony backpack – as long as it’s sparkly.
I have had to come to terms with the fact that I spend on average 3 hours every day paddling through people’s pee, spit, and sweat (*gag*). I try not to get any in my mouth. Bleh. I’ll admit, I peed in the pool once when I was super involved in a long sprint set and couldn’t hold it and didn’t want to interrupt my intervals to get out and pee. YUCK!
I love this post!
I think you are so right, people don’t really care about the things we seem so insecure about unless we let on how insecure we are.
I’ve peed in a pool before sure, but it was years ago! Honest. haha.
I love this post. I think we are so much harder on ourselves than anyone else ever will be. I know I am!
By the way, someone did fart in yoga class today. It wasn’t me, but I had to stifle a giggle.
This is so cute and beautiful all rolled into one humerous post. Love! <3 It is so true that we are our worst critics! We think so much about how other people view us that we forget to just roll with the punches and laugh it off.
hope you have a wonderful weekend and it looks like gorgeous weather from your photos, so hopefully you're enjoying that as well! xoxo
Missy,
Your ability to story tell and captivate is AMAZING. Have you ever considered authoring your own book? I’m being serious here.
I absolutely respect and enjoy how you are able to convey “lessons” that we all can learn from and grow with. You, my dear, are incredibly gifted and story telling is not the easiest to do. You have quite a gift.
I haven’t gone swimming in pools in years, or in other places for that matter (wish I did as I grew up on the beaches of the west coast). But those warm spots were always the “ewwwww, I think I know what this could be” for me.
The elephant in the room can be so many things and that self-conscious nature that we all individually have can truly hold us at bay in so many different ways. It’s a great reminder to let ourselves have the “grace” that we would allow others and be more gentle and less scrutinizing of ourselves.
You offer such a wonderful reminder of this.
I hope you would truly consider (one day) writing a book of your own and sending it off to different publishers. Again, you have such a gift and I thoroughly enjoy all that you offer.
(And no, I do not want a rainbow pony backpack. It’s just not me.)
Thank you. Wow. It’s been a dream of mine. Perhaps I need to make it a plan.
Being as sensitive as I know you are – I have a feeling you know what I mean by writing this post.
Indeed I do know what you mean by writing this post. You are very, very insightful and perceptive.
And lady – I really think that dream ought be a plan put into action.
I promise, swear, cross eyes and all….you have a very real ability to convey messages. I think that if you really have had a dream to write a book, then the stars will align or collide or get in their respective order and it shall be. 
You. Are. Awesome.
Lovely interpretation of the story.
PS. I love to swim but hate public pools because of the aforementioned ‘accidents’ (or not so accident ‘accidents’)
Chlorine Kills. That’s my motto.
The things we’re worrying about are rarely in anyone else’s thoughts, because they’re too busy stressing over their own embarrassments WE barely noticed.
Yup!
My elephant is that I know my ed is back and so does everyone around me and I just fluff it off with lies and its not like we don’t ALL KNOW I’m lying… I’m just not ready to do anything about it yet.
But more important WELCOME BACK
And I forgot to mention not in my memory have I peed in a pool (im never in one – I can’t swim)
i’ve always been this way, and my mom used to say i was very self-centered to assume so many people were noticing or caring about the things i do.
interesting?
It sounds harsh, but when coming from a place of love it is very wise.
YOu know, self-centeredness is human nature. It’s like having skin. I’m not talking about — you know, the truly devastating kind of self centeredness where people TRULY only care and think about themselves — but the natural side effect of having a brain. (0:
you hit dead on with this one: you have an eating disorder. i left school to go to treatment, came back sicker, and now i’m in recovery, yet it seems like people still feel the need to comment on my body. as if i didn’t already feel like an elephant… my weight changes seem to be their own!
Oh, the comments. It’s rough.
When people say “you look better” or “you look good” we may make an elephant out of it when really? They may just be grasping for conversation.
How are you?. How’s the weather? You look healthy! etc.
Wahoo! I love story time! And I love this post. It’s weird because I hardly ever notice “flaws” in other people, yet I’m constantly thinking that people can’t stop looking at what I think mine are. Like if I wake up with a huge zit on my forehead, the only think I can focus on when I’m talking to someone is that they’re probably staring at it and thinking how horrible it looks… when more people don’t even give a rat’s patootie. It’s gotten better though… because I’ve been trying more and more to shift my focus from myself to other people instead, but it’s something I keep having to remind myself of.
I am the same way. I LOVE everyone (almost) and I am constantly seeing so much beauty in them. I LOVE people so much …why can’t I view myself that way?
How does the book end??????? What was the elephant?
My elephant is being certain that EVERYONE can see how socially inept I am. They have to realize that being in a group makes me feel like I just don’t belong! Everyone sees that right?
Actually, there really WAS a big elephant in the room so finally he says “I don’t care about ANY of that…I’m asking about the elephant in the room” and it turns out there really IS A big elephant in the other room watching TV and eating ice cream.
The little guy says, oh! That’s Fred.
Dawn — it is so funny. I once read in a book not to judge other people’s outsides based on your insides. HUH? It took me a second to get it — but think about it. We may think we know what other people are thinking based on our insides …”I think that comment was dumb so OBVIOUSLY they must” and also we tend to think that other people are obviously cool, calm, collected and perfectly capable of being social when inside they be more of a wreck than we are!
Please gain weight.You look sick. I’m worried about you. Check into an inpatient facility and you won’t regret it.
I hear you. (0:
Aw, hon. You look gorgeous! I don’t think you need to gain any weight and you don’t look sick at all.
I pee in the pool
hhahahha
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You rule.
Love your interpretation… you’re so creative, and the part about the pool made me laugh
Thank goodness for chlorine!
A very important message! I must get this book for school- it’d be great for PHSE! Thank you for your interpretation of it- I agree you have a knack for conveying a message really clearly, honestly and inspiringly!
Sorry to hear you aren’t well- that sucks (mmmm, miso soup- am sure that must be good for illness- a bit like the Chicken soup thing!)