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When Life Craps All Over You, Wear a Rubber Helmet

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We all know that life can turn on a dime; it’s just that you don’t ever think that it will happen to you. I mean, we know that it can happen, and that it does happen, we just don’t think that it will. If we thought like that, what would be the point of getting up in the morning?

No, I’m not getting up. My boss might rip a strip off me.

No, I’m not paying my bills. Tomorrow I might have a heart attack and die.

No, I’m not sending my kids to school. A gun-wielding psychopath might show up there.

And like that.

We would never live.

We would huddle in constant fear, and then we would become that which we fear …

And

Dig a moat around the house.

Get some guns.

Floodlights.

Dogs with big teeth.

Razor wire.

Shoot indiscriminately.

But most of us don’t. We just get on with it and we don’t think about it and we take our chances.

Lately, there has been a lot of crap falling out of the sky and landing on my head and dripping on my feet.

In some ways, 2015 was an annus horribilus.

So I got a rubber helmet. A big one with a wide brim.

Wearing a rubber helmet can be a good thing, especially if it gives you enough peace to think about the good stuff – the stuff that can get overshadowed by the horrible stuff. It’s just that sometimes, while life is happening all over you, it’s hard to remember why you’re draining the swamp when you’re up to your ass in alligators.

So, some very good stuff from our ambles through the Okanagan Valley:

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A January hiking picnic. There’s wine in that thermos.
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Wine vines getting ready to awaken. The Okanagan grows wonderful bottles of Pinot Gris.
The snow is melting but the cooler was making these frozen waterfalls. Underneath the ice, the water was still running.
These pretty “icefalls” develop when the temperature and dewpoint are close together.
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M and I live near the southern tip of Lake Okanagan.
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Golfing has resumed on the valley floor, but there’s still a little snow at the higher elevations.

It’s good to get a little perspective every now and then. 🙂

16 thoughts on “When Life Craps All Over You, Wear a Rubber Helmet”

  1. Sorry to hear about the bad year. Seems to be a constant for some reason. I’m happy you posted the good things. Enjoy the summer here in the beautiful Okanagan. It only gets better from here. Next month the trees will start to change. 🙂

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    1. Yes, it’s important not to dwell. And my hope is that things are turning. 🙂 I guess we all have these sorts of times in our lives – it was just my turn.

      I am very much looking forward to spring – the trees changing next month! Lovely! 🙂

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  2. Really sorry to hear that you had difficulties. I hope this year will be better for you. Glad to see you enjoying the wonderful scenery though! 🙂

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  4. Sorry to hear last year was horrible for you Lynette. I liked your metaphors here and also your indomitable spirit. I’ll take a leaf from your book and get on with it…as you say, life can turn in an instant when we’re least expecting it…keep calm and carry on, I say !

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    1. Thank you very much. 😀 I feel very honoured. 🙂 I don’t accept awards but I will do a post where I pass on your nominees so that they (and you) get a little more exposure. Much appreciated. 🙂

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      1. You are welcome! Oh, that is alright, I never seem to be able to figure out who wants awards and who doesn’t 🙂 So that is why I just wrote in the post that it is voluntary. 🙂 I am glad that you still see it as an honour, I do too. It is nice when people think of us in that way. Yes, sure, if you would like to make such a blog post, I would only be very happy, no pressure, do it if / when you have time, and so on. Take care 💜

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  7. I, too, wear a rubber helmet to ward off things that I fear – clowns, telemarketers, square-dancing, rheumatoid arthritis, my brother-in-law, bad wine, dirty laundry and civil lawsuits. It works in most cases but is not appreciated – for some reason – in a court of law. It’s also uncomfortable at night when sleeping.

    The sights of Okanagan Valley are a better alternative.

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