Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Pigeon or the Statue - A Different Interpretation

"Accept that some days you are the pigeon and some days the statue."

~Dilbert (Scott Adams)~



Believe it or not, I was not familiar with this phrase, until a friend of mine recently used it. 

Since then (of course), I have heard it a multitude of times.


You know how THAT works.


The funny thing is that I completely misinterpreted the message.  

You see, I saw the statue as someone who is standing still - unable to make progress,  

and the pigeon as someone who is able to move freely, and get things done.     


 I have been living my life by this philosophy for years, 

never realizing there was a complimentary poetic quote, validating my thinking,

even if it WAS only MY interpretation.     

I simply had my days when I knew that I was going to accomplish things,
                                                                            
 and my days when I knew that I was not. 


"How exciting, that I can now label my days "statue" days,

or "pigeon" days !" I thought.   


Today I am having a "statue" day. 

That does not mean that I am accomplishing NOTHING.  

Anyone who is a MOM knows that, unless you are laid up in a hospital bed - that is just not possible.  


It simply means that I am not going to impress myself today. 

I am not going to accomplish MORE than what I was expecting to,

      and maybe not as much as I had hoped.   


In the past, on a good "statue" day,  

I would become frustrated, and ask myself the following questions:

    "Why can't I feel more motivated today?" 

"Why can't I accomplish more?" 

"Why don't I have more energy?" 


But, that did not change the fact that I was still a statue.  
  

There is something very liberating about knowing when you are a statue or a pigeon. 

The days when I feel like a statue, I simply accept it, knowing that it will pass,

and hope that I will accomplish more tomorrow.


The days when I feel like a pigeon -

I embrace, and can be capable of performing amazing

tasks.............."in a single bound."  
 

Today I am a statue,

and I find it ironic that I am writing about it,

 because (feeling like a statue, as I am),

I did not think that I would be able to come up with a single thought. 

And now I will go cook dinner,

 but don't expect to be impressed,

 for I am having a statue day.   


While I have been set straight about the correct message behind the quote  

- if you are the pigeon, you shit on people, and if you are the statue, you are being "shat" upon - 

I think I prefer MY version better. 

Besides, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to share this story.

What a shame that would be.   
 

2 comments:

  1. Some times you're a bug, sometimes you the windshield~lyrics sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter. i like your interpretation best!!!

    ReplyDelete