It's so obvious...

Here is another vacation tale for you, sort of.

At one of the rest stops taken during my holiday (and there were many), I could not help but notice a certain garbage can. It has a pukie green colored can with a bright yellow sign on the front of it that read:
FOR YOUR GOOD HEALTH BARREL PICKING IS PROHIBITED.

Yes, yes, I even took a picture – scroll down a take a peek!!!

When I read it I thought, “Well, well, there is certainly nothing like stating the obvious... duh!”

Then, as so often happens, there was a still, small voice inside my mind that said, “Ah, but Lisa – that sign is for you, too. You barrel pick all the time.”

I barrel pick? What?

I
barrel
pick
?

Me?

As that phrase rolled around in my head
(get it – barrel, rolling around… heehee) different ideas came to mind.

What comes to your mind when you consider the phrase ‘barrel picking’?

I pictured a person, a real, live person digging, elbow deep in garbage. In smooshie, stinky garbage. In stuff that others have thrown away minutes, or hours, or days ago. And why? Because they have a need and they are looking to fill it. More specifically, they have a hunger. And, unfortunately any old scrap will do.

I have certain needs and certain hungers. And, unfortunately, many times I allow any old scrap to fill that need/hunger. I should say it this way – I allow any old scrap to TRY and fill me, for they never really do.

However, if I am honest with myself, scraps very rarely do. And when they do it is not a long lasting fill but a quick fix until my need/hunger returns.

Let’s see… some of the things I use to fill needs/hungers in my life: shopping, food, work, facebook, television, flattery and the list could go on. Please understand that none of these things are bad in and of themselves, but if I am using any one of them to make me feel important, relaxed, popular, relevant, informed – well, I’m only barrel picking.

How about you? Are you a barrel picker too?

Let’s stop it… for our good health. It’s so obvious.



PS: If you want to know what does fill me - just ask. I'd be happy to share.