It's all in the Perception

There was a bug in our house the other day. One of those mean, ugly, nasty looking black summer bugs who surely found life much more comfortable in our air-conditioned home than out in the 100+ temps we were having last week. Oh, but he was a nasty bug. A nasty, icky bug. 

I don't like bugs.

I don't like seeing them. I don't like going near them. I don't like having to pinch them between a piece of paper-towel and then cautiously open it to see if I did, in fact, stop this little creature from living another day. I don't like them. Don't like them. Don't like them. Don't like them.

Sometimes, I just can't do it. I can't get closer than 5 feet from it (I'm not kidding.) Some sort of fear takes over my body, and I feel like the bug is going to swallow me whole. Yes, I know this is a ridiculous thought. But, it's the truth. It's exactly how I perceive it to be.

I had to call on a neighbor to come and dispose of the nasty bug this week, as this one looked a little too powerful for my flip flop to handle. While we waited for my neighbor to arrive, the girls and I sat at the kitchen table and each of us drew a photo of the said bug (who was a safe distance from us in the living room.) I kept an eye on him the whole time (bugs are always a him in my house), to make sure he didn't move out of my site. But as we waited for my brave brave neighbor, we each  interpreted Mr. Nasty Pants in a lovely little art piece. 

It's funny, isn't it . . . the whole idea about perception and what we each perceive? I've been thinking a lot about that lately. Our bug drawings are a perfect example of it. Perception, taken from the word, Perceive . . .

If you follow my blog, you know that I have been taking care of myself lately. I've been saying "no" to more things, I've been spending this wonderful summer full of fun activities with my daughters. I've been staying up late, sleeping late, exercising more, enjoying the sun, taking photos of the garden, visiting the city, seeing movies, snuggling, dreaming, reading, loving, writing, smiling, cooking, laughing, exploring, and . . . living. Each and every day.

Some people might not understand it. Some might think I'm being selfish. Some might think I have developed some sort of an attitude or toughness. That perception couldn't be farther from the truth. I am still the same person. I am simply listening to my own heart and my own soul, and I can honestly say that I am more at peace within myself than I have been for a long time.

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

- Anthony Robbins

Perception . . . it's pretty interesting to me.

And, yes . . . my perception of the bug in our house is pretty far from the reality. (Both Katie and Ella did a great job with their drawings.) I think next time I'll really try to get rid of it on my own, and not bother my neighbor. But boy oh boy, if you could have seen my neighbor try and kill this one, you wouldn't have died laughing with me. It was hysterical!!! Perhaps my drawing wasn't far off.

Peace, my friends.