The Setup

When I was young I played with cardboard boxes for hours, making them into Barbie houses. It was all about the setup, carefully designing and placing furniture, wallpaper, clothes and shoes in each room. Barbie was never active. The only thing she ever did was stick her chest out even further and sit sway- backed in a plastic chair, as if she was too good to touch it. I never saw her enjoy her home.

Now as a grown up, I look around and notice most people are managing their lives, but not many are really living. We carefully articulate, masterfully manipulate, caffein-ate, hydrate and medicate. Why have we abandoned our need to participate? The job of arranging life has taken up all of our time.

This season I want to remember that while the set up and lead up are great, if we don't stop and simply live, we'll end up with carefully designed, empty cardboard boxes.

Comments

[Jonathan Paul]

Wow. This is powerful, Audra! I've really enjoyed your last few posts from my RSS feed reader on my BB, but sadly that doesn't allow for easy posting of comments. Had to say something about this one though. And this is also gonna get a retweat.

[Audra Krell]

Thank you Jonathan!  I appreciate your friendship and support, as always!

[Lance]

Audra,
I find this to be some of your very best and most pointed writing. Your message is one that leaps from the pages - that NOW is the time to live life. So, so good!

[Audra]

Thank you Lance. I appreciate your support of my writing and especially your friendship.

[Marcus Goodyear]

I agree with these comments completely. The image of life as an empty cardboard box is powerful.

On the other hand, sometimes being present and means being present to plan and arrange life. It includes budget decisions at work and home. It includes conversations about what we are going to do and why.

Those things are rarely sexy or fun. Management doesn't always feel like "really living," but it does have a place. And it is good to plan wisely so long as we don't trust in the power of our own plans and wisdom.

[Audra Krell]

Thanks for your great comment Marcus, I really appreciate you stopping by. I agree, management does have it's place. I've found from personal experience and from other couples relationships, that becoming nothing more than co-managers is easy to do. I think it is in those times, that we do put our trust in own ways and wisdom. That will never lead anywhere healthy or good.