Food For Thought - "Put a Cork in It"

"Put a Cork in It"
C2004  Gail Pursell Elliott
 

Chemistry set.  What a great present to get when you’re ten years old and dreaming of becoming either an astronaut or a mad scientist.  

The parents were out visiting neighbors.  All alone in the kitchen with the table cleared off, the metal folding box with its chemicals, test tubes, and other equipment was spread out for inspection. 

Oh yeah, there was an instruction book with experiments.  It seemed much more interesting to combine several chemicals with a bit of water, put a cork in the top of the test tube and heat it gently over a candle.

There was no warning when the cork shot out from the test tube.  The build up of vapors was unseen even though the test tube was clear. 

As surprising as the color of the spray that dotted the ceiling of the kitchen, which had to be repainted along with the rest of the room, was how much of it there was and how far it traveled.  There seemed to be so little in the test tube yet so much on the walls and the ceiling.  The pattern was random and extensive.

If you’ve ever told anyone to “put a cork in it” or wished they would, while the person was trying to express feelings that you found disquieting, you may not have realized what you were asking.

Whenever we put a cork on releasing pent up feelings or frustrations we may not see the build up that is occurring as a result.

When the cork finally is released, the resulting spray can be far-reaching and more colorfully extensive than we ever imagined it could be.  It can affect more people and situations than it ever would have, had it been allowed to be released in a controlled and trusting environment.

Sometimes we have to put a cork on our feelings and frustrations in certain situations because it is not appropriate to do otherwise.

Sometimes we forget to remove the cork and release the build up of negative vapors in some positive way.

Not taking things personally that are simply a build up of someone else’s stress is one way to gently release the pressure on our own cork.

Giving others a chance to vent without taking the situation or statements personally is a way to help others release their own pressure.  Doing this without judging the person is how to do this with dignity and respect.

Depending on the situation, sometimes we may feel that we do not have much of a chance to release some of the pressure. 

If the cork in the test tube had been left off, the vapors would have been able to mix with the air and the aftereffects would probably not been so surprising.

This is an interesting point to think about.  More air would have helped. Perhaps it would have been better to leave the cork off of the tube.  Perhaps it also is better for us not to put a cork on ourselves but to keep ourselves open and to breathe deeply to mix those frustrations literally with more air.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure of stress rising you may find that you’ve forgotten either to breathe or that you’ve been practicing shallow breathing. 

The next time you’re tempted to tell someone to “put a cork in it” or someone says that to you, try taking a few deep breaths. You may be amazed at the results.

Have a Great Day and be good to yourself.  You deserve it!

Gail

Copyright ©2004 Gail Pursell Elliott All rights reserved.