The Universe Doesn’t Give a Feather About You, a.k.a., Ugly Duckling Syndrome
When the world seems HELL BENT ON DESTRUCTION (helped by the recent tragedy in Las Vegas or the death of Tom Petty), it’s easy to say the universe doesn’t give a feather.
The problem with the universe is not the universe, it’s TEMPORAL MIND WARP.
“Feathers,” in fact, are ever-present, all the time, everywhere.
Lose sight of the following five fundamentals, and you may find yourself drowning in self-pity.
Food
“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”
–Julia Child
If you eat too many slices, they may make you toot, but who doesn’t love a cherry pie?
Apple pie? Blueberry pie? Punkin? Now, that’s tapping into a sweet spot.
Also, coffee is good.
An ice cold beer on a hot summer’s day? Whew.
Where did all these earthly delights come from?
The universe.
That’s quite a lot of feathers.
Relaxation
“Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased.”
–Mary Oliver
The simplicity of a dog’s life is exquisite.
My parents-in-law, who I love, have a dog, named Punkin’.
Downright adorable. No?
Punkin’ focuses on just a few critical needs: staying warm well-fed, and loved.
She lays around the house all day long.
On occasion, she wanders over to the window to lay in the sun.
Then, when Punkin’ gets too hot, she pants her way across the room to lie on the cool kitchen floor.
Every once and a while, she gets a fire in her belly and wants to play. Then, she’ll race around the living room and fetch a ball with a look a mischief in her eye.
She knows what she wants, and she gets it.
The rest of the time?
She relaxes.
The relationship between humans and dogs goes back tens of thousands of years for a reason.
Keep it simple.
Dog’s do it. You can too.
Stay warm, well-fed, well-loved, and relax.
Exercise
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
–Buddha
When looking into the night sky, many stars can be seen, but in the light of day, they fade to blue.
Why? The Sun, also a star, pumps out so much light, it blinds us to its cousins.
Getting outside and walking under the sun–or the moon–is simply a pleasure, but also a sure fire way to work out any issues.
The scientific benefits of walking are well published: strengthens the heart, lowers the risk of disease, helps with weight loss, prevents dementia, boosts vitamin D, increases energy, and happiness.
Have a problem? Go for a walk. Chances are you’ll feel better.
Companionship
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
–William Butler Yeats
As if the fire of the Sun were not enough, we’ve miniaturized its fire into the form factor of a Zippo.
The mistake is to think we’re somehow geniuses for the accomplishment.
No doubt, the design of a Zippo is beautiful in its simplicity, but the raw materials have been available since Earth’s beginning.
We’ve just now connected the dots.
For conveniences like fire, we have the universe to thank.
Here’s an idea.
If you feel like the universe doesn’t give a feather about you, invite some friends over for a bonfire or a barbecue.
There is nothing more gratifying than gathering around a fire with friends, breaking bread, clinking glasses, and telling stories.
Creativity
“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.”
–Walt Disney
Finally, the mere ability to think and model the universe in our heads is just plain stupid silly awesomeness.
Based on a few points of reference, while I’m sitting at the kitchen table writing this article, I can travel to the Moon.
There I am, bouncing along its surface with a stupid grin on my face.
I feel light, joyful.
With the Moon’s lack of gravity, I jog slow-motion across its dusty surface in my phat moon boots.
The imagination alone would be enough to prove the subtlety with which the universe cares, but do you need more?
When we feel the world is against us, it’s best to remember some of our favorite things.
The feathers are out there. Are you going to find them?
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Feel the feathers all around.
Feel a fundamental joy abound.
