Life is like re-packing
my ordered cupboard every so often to place my trusty garments into their
rightful places. Even if I packed my cupboard in the neatest, tidiest way, if I
am in a rush- it'll be tossed out and shoved back in for crimes it didn't
commit. My cupboard then looks like the very mess I started with. Sometimes, a
cupboard can resemble life. When all of the clothes are sprawled out on the
floor, life is chaotic. When items are placed into shelves they do not belong,
it can feel like those awkward moments we wished that we did not stumble into.
Then of course: The RE-PACK, because
at some point or another- IT HAS TO
HAPPEN- we have to put it all back together again.
If life was like a
cupboard where one could see one's actions displayed to one, one would be able
to lift it up, examine it and then decide whether to toss the experience or
not. As one sorts through the mess of bad decisions and unwanted experiences,
one is ready to categorise these and put them into their correct shelves. I
begin the re-pack with my old clothes that I have to let go of like torn
T-shirts, pants (which I have not been able to fit in since high school) and
the decoloured T-shirts that have been there since before ancient time. All of
these, I would classify as the items in my life which I have outgrown. That
time that comes for (hopefully) everyone when one realises that there is
something new that awaits one. So, I fold up these items and place it lovingly
into a bag to symbolise my growth.
Then the items that
I hastily shoved into the incorrect shelves out of being late, a-speed-
against- time hurry and out of just pure laziness- these items needed to find
their way back to where they belonged. These garments were my jackets, exercise
attire, my jeans and my favourite T-shirts. These were the clothes that encapsulated
my life and the core of who I am. My jackets protect me from chilly mornings
and icy nights. My exercise attire motivates me to stay in what I call a healthy
shape. And my faithful jeans and favourite T-shirts give me the lift that I always
need to feel like myself. So, why was I forcing them into shelves that they
didn’t belong in? Why, when I’m in a speedy rush, did I neglect what was most
important to me? These items symbolise those times when I placed myself into
experiences where I could have asserted myself more; where I should have placed
more effort into looking after values that were worth taking care of. So, I fold
up these items and lovingly place them into their correct shelves: The jackets
with the jackets, the exercise attire with my awaiting swimwear and jeans and
T-shirts with my “just chill” shelf.
My hands rummage through
what is left of the chaotic mess and find the new items that remained shyly
behind. One-by-one I raised them for inspection. Some of them still had their
cheap and expensive price tags attached to their necks and hips. Scanning them I
realised that these clothing items still had something to prove: Whether it
made me look slim or fat, whether they were comfortable or tight, whether the
colour made me feel happy or sad but
most importantly- If I still liked them or not. It’s interesting how one can
buy clothing items in that glamorous moment and in one’s mind one could picture
oneself on that show: America’s Next Top Model and then coming home it looks
like an item from a garage sale. It just proves that new experiences can change
according to our negative and positive attitudes and perceptions. Sometimes
when we step out of the situations, we can have different perspectives. I
packed these items in a shelf of their own- whether I liked them or not. When
the time comes I am going to take a chance- flash my smile, curve my lower legs
and feel comfortable in whatever I choose.
Having placed all the
items into where they belonged I reflected on my handiwork. The bag that I was
ready to part with represented those outgrown experiences as well as hurtful experiences
that I could let go of at any given moment should I choose to. Today is THAT day. Those moments that I hurried
into without thought, leaving behind what was important to me I found those
trusty jackets, exercise attire and jeans and T-shirts in the shelves where
they belonged; in the shelves that I value.
And the new clothing items, in their own shelf, symbolises fresh ideas, new
challenges and unique experiences up ahead.
So, the re-pack was
completed. Everything fit where they belonged. A smile takes to the ends of my
lips because I know that I will be re-visiting this cupboard. It might not be
right away, but sooner or later my clothes may tossed out in a hurry, shoved
into the wrong shelf but I have to make the time to set it right- place it into
their rightful place. The re-pack will come again, it has to. Without the re-pack nothing has changed and without
change, we haven’t grown.
