The Why is Important

Thy why is important to know when following a rule so we don’t broadly apply it all over the place. Like for example when is it ok to push down the garbage. First you need to know why this is important to the person who made the rule. My husband (Kevin) and I like a bit of sweets in the evening. We have a drawer in a side table he made years ago that I have been making every effort to keep stocked with a variety of individually wrapped chocolates. All these wrappers fill up the small garbage can, and they get quite staticky for some reason. One evening he got up to get a drink and while he was gone I pushed down the garbage as when I tried to throw wrappers away and the static on the seemed to attract the ones already in there and it was become a chore to leave them behind.

Kevin came back and when he noticed I pushed the garbage he said in Disbelief “You pushed the garbage” I looked at him quizzically for a moment thinking what a bizarre statement then it dawned on me why he was surprised.

Typically, it seems to me that I am the only one that takes out the garbage (Possibly not true). Our kitchen garbage has always been a floor standing model that is about two and half feet high. I am only Five feet 4 inches tall. In the past that garbage has been pushed down rather than changed out. This can make it very difficult to get the bag out of the garbage can. On several occasions I have had to lay the can on its side, try and hold it in place with my foot and shimmy the bag back and forth while pulling to get it out. I then must carry it to the dumpster which is quite a distance from the house. Because it was pushed so many times it is usually also heavy. I must flip the lid open on our dumpster and use proper body mechanics to propel this ridiculously heavy object up and over the side.

This tended to make me cranky.  I made have let my inner Taurus out one day when I say someone pushing down the garbage to make room for more. I may have inadvertently caused some Trauma for Kevin that has given him an aversion to pushing down garbage altogether.

I tried to explain the why to him, however I was laughing so hard I don’t think he understood or perhaps he didn’t care. Regardless every time I look at the garbage can now, I internally have a little chuckle and think to myself “The why is important, never forget that”. Life’s lessons are everywhere.

Rosetta Sanders

Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash