What's the cure for disappointment?
Ask for nothing, and expect nothing.
Uitwaaien is a Dutch word that cannot be fully translated into English: it literally means "to walk in the wind," but in the more figurative and commonly used sense, it means "to take a brief break in the countryside to clear one's head."
I was rolling and carrying on when I saw a frantic man crossing the street back and forth while waving his hands in the air, signalling for me to stop.
'Oh, boy. Here we go. Let's see what this guy wants,' I thought as I rolled up my window.
I cruised up, barely touching the gas, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw his face.
"Watch out for the turtl," He yelped as he was beaming, smiling from ear to ear.
I looked down as the precious green turtle the size of a child's fist steadily made its way over a curb, trying to escape this lunatic almost as fast as the mailman can. Effing turtles...they're stopping me for turtles...
I look around
and see the clutter
and realize what a mess my life has become.
So, I cringe
and I despair
and I instantly sow the seeds of repair.
But, in my haste,
I spread myself too thin,
A little here, a little there,
And very soon, too soon,
I've begun unfinished projects everywhere.
Only then,
does the cycle continue
because
then, and always then,
I look around
and see the clutter
and realize what a mess my life has become.