The everything-will-be-alright-as-soon-as-I-finish-this cure

Does Mrs. Piggle Wiggle have a cure for everything-will-be-alright-as-soon-as-I-finish-this itis?

I think I have everything-will-be-alright-as-soon-as-I-finish-this itis!

Did you read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle as a child –or adult? I loved those stories by Betty MacDonald about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle who lived in her upside-down house and loved to play with the children and always knew how to cure those childhood ailments. One of my favorites– the Radish Cure for Patsy who didn’t want to bathe (per Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s instructions, her parents didn’t make her bathe and when a thick enough layer of dirt built up, they planted radish seeds which then sprouted).

I just named it when—

Anyhow, when talking to my daughter last week, she told about how she had thought that everything would be alright as soon as she finished a project she was working on–but then there was the next one. Then I thought about how many times I said that same thing to myself: everything-will-be-alright-as-soon-as-I-finish-this—-.

Something I promised myself I’d never do when I grew up

When I was 17 and 18 years old, I spent those 2 summers working at the Rock Island Arsenal–the job paid really well and I learned a lot. The first summer I did data input–creating those cards that used to get fed into the computer. The second summer, I worked as a typist in Foreign Military Sales (I even had security clearance!).

I learned many interesting things, but one thing that stood out to me was that many of the people who worked there would say: “only 10 (or 15 or 8….) more years until I retire.” That shocked me. I couldn’t imagine waiting around for years doing something I only tolerated so I could enjoy something that much later. Promising myself I would never do that, I’ve kept that promise.

But what I realized in my conversation with Rachel was that I did something similar. I throw myself into a project that I either like or don’t like only in order to get it done with the thought that as soon as I finish it, everything will be good. But there’s always the next project and the next thing to be finished before ……Well, you get the idea.

Then I thought about Mrs. Piggle Wiggle–we could use her to cure some of our adult ailments. But, for better or worse, we have to be our own Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. And so far, I don’t have a cure, although just noticing has been of some help.

But it’s Poetry Friday (more or less–I’m writing this on Saturday)

So I thought at least I could write a poem about this strange affliction, everything-will-be-alright-as-soon-as-I-finish-this itis that causes stress and dis-ease. At least it couldn’t make things any verse (sorry–I actually got a good night’s sleep last night and this is the kind of thing that results from that)

Thanks to this week’s Poetry Friday host, Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work That Matters

I’ve written before about the importance of nursery rhymes for children, but here is a poem inspired by a nursery rhyme–again applying my childhood loves to my grown-up life (although how grown up remains open to question).

Ding, dong bell

Pussy’s in the well

Who put her in?

The person who lives in her skin.

Someone help her out

She’s too busy flailing about

She doesn’t even hear you shout

All she does is whine and pout

Listen to what the bell says:

I’ll get out as soon as

When I have what I should has

I’lll get out as soon as

All will be well

And all will be well

and all manner of things shall be well*–

But not while you live in a well!

Something’s beginning to smell

She’ll says she’ll stay in just until….

*Quote by Julian of Norwich