What bucket are you in? I’m not a fan of life as metaphor. But maybe life is full of buckets, and we carry ’em based on the position(s) we’re in and people we’re with.
I’ve never been one to compartmentalize my life. “Everything means everything” croons Matt of the National, in one of my favorite songs, “Conversation 16.”
In other words, I can’t sort my life from moment to moment. Code-switching from professional to personal and back again is too exhausting of a practice. It’s neither grounded nor aspirational.
Leapfrogging through life is not my style. I am who I am. Accepting that I am vulnerably showing up just as I am is precious and un-let-go-able. Life is full and fun, but sometimes my energy is drained.
Naturally, it’s almost election day, fall stops pauses for winter with today’s first “wintry mix” of snow and rain, and it’s the final days of the quarter. Transitions are hard.
But what can I do? I can start bucket-thinking. Not kick the bucket. Not make a bucket-list. Just bucket-think. Then, I can start sorting.
When life gets exhausting, I can start asking… What bucket am I in, right now? What am I trying to squeeze inside? Are there cracks in the holes? Are there other variables influencing the bucket? Who is carrying it?
Is this metaphor ridiculous? Maybe. I’m just realizing that I don’t need to hold it all, anymore. Perhaps I never did.
But here’s what I can do: I can wear my yellow coat for a burst of sunshine from the snow. I can and will vote early. Maybe I can register for next quarter’s classes.
So, I ask, when you feel you are holding it all, do you have outputs to express, let go, and move on? Or are you carrying it all? Here for you.