Fecal Matter

I didn't say it out loud. Didn't declare it to the room. And I didn't make a statement of intent.

But I felt it. I felt this particular desire down to the very tips of my toes.

Poop.

Nope, that's not a typo. You read that correctly. P-O-O-P. Of the canine variety.

Yuck, you're probably thinking. And I would agree. Yuck with a capital Y. But at the time, during that particular moment of extreme emotional intensity, the first thing to pop into my mind was - yep - fecal matter.

I remember the day well. Sitting at my desk, wading through a pile of papers - legal mumbo-jumbo, if you will - and hearing the clock in the office literally ticking away my life, I suddenly felt an emotional surge so strong that the tiny hairs on my arms stood up. I glanced down at the brief that I was proofreading and thought - with every ounce of my being - I'd rather be out picking up dog poop than doing this. And in that moment, I felt a soft tingle of relief ripple through my body. Even the bruise on my forehead - which had swollen to the size of a small plum from banging my head incessantly on my desk earlier that morning - ceased to throb. (Okay, it really wasn't that big, and I only slammed my head against the desk two or three times. Tops.)

But at that moment in time, no matter how fleeting it was, dog poop was my bliss.

Now, several years later, dog poop is certainly not my bliss. To put it mildly, if I had a dime for every pile I've had to pick up at the veterinary clinic where I work, I could retire a very wealthy woman. In fact, I was pondering this very thought yesterday as I stooped to pick up a particularly fresh pile of the above-mentioned stuff. As I held my breath and wrinkled my nose, I had an A-Ha moment. And, in typical A-Ha fashion, it slammed into me so hard I felt like I'd walked into a wall.

I. Asked. For. This.

Wow. Um, say that again please?

I asked for this. This experience. This extremely smelly, filthy, oh-my-god-this-is-the-most-disgusting-thing-I've-ever-had-to-do experience. The reality of the situation dawned on me, and I started to laugh. And laugh. As I dumped the heaping pile into the trash bin, I was filled with appreciation as I witnessed - yet again - the enormous power of our thoughts.

You know that old saying? Be careful what you wish for... 'Cause you just might get it.

Well, I'm here to tell you that you do. Get it.

I mean, poop. Come on... Who would have ever thought?

___________________________

"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted."
-- John Lennon